Mech Magic
by Ragnos The King
Summary: AU. Starts during the final confrontation between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail. A member of Fairy Tail decides to become involved in the fight to protect Lucy and gets asked to join the Team. New magic and adventures await those of Fairy Tail. Rated T for suggestive themes and some language from the Anime.
1. 15 Minutes

**Author's Note: This is my first try at a Fairy Tail fanfic. It's going to be an AU based off of the Anime. I'll try to keep as close to the source material as best i can and not take away the main characters shining moments. Hope you guys enjoy.**

* * *

 **15 Minutes**

The remaining members of Fairy Tail, those strong enough to still move, rush outside as the ground shakes and trembles. They are greeted by a shocking surprise. Coming towards the Guild Hall is a massive castle made of white stone. It had four tall towers at each corner and a huge central building lined with windows. It was being propelled by four mechanical legs, the entire structure shifting left and right wildly with each step. A huge uproar of confusion and fear arose from the guild members.

A large barrel suddenly extended from the center of the castle and was aimed directly at the Guild. It started to power up, a swirling mass of dark energy. Erza, dressed only in a bath towel, turned to the others and screamed, "Run! Get out of here now!"

Erza charged the cannon and requipped into her Adamantine Armor. Members of the guild cried out in protest; telling her to stop it. Natsu had to be restrained by Gray to keep from running out and risking his own life.

The cannon fired and Erza activated a magical barrier with her armor. The armor quickly started to crack and weaken. Just as her armor shattered, the magical blast dissipated. Erza was blasted back and she was forced back into a white frilly blouse and blue skirt. A huge gouge was left in the ground from the blast. Erza was hurt bad. Natsu ran to her.

"Makarov has fallen. And now Erza can no longer stand. Any chance of victory has slipped through your fingers. Surrender Lucy Heartfilia immediately. You have no choice," a voice said over a loudspeaker. Members cried out in outrage and protest.

A tall boy dressed in black with spikey blonde hair saw out of the corner of his eye, Lucy crying.

"I won't ask again!" the voice said getting annoyed.

"We would never betray her like that! You'd have to kill us first!" Erza screamed.

"You can stop asking now cause we're not going to give ya any other answer! We're taking everyone last one of you jerks down!" Natsu screamed.

The tall boy came over and placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder causing her to jump. He didn't say anything, just glared at the castle.

"That's does it! I'll give you a second helping of the Jupiter Cannon. You have fifteen minutes to ponder the faulty of your decision!" The voice screamed. Panic went through the guild.

"No way? They're going to fire at us again?" Loke asked. Erza was still unable to move. So she couldn't protect us again.

Thousands of black, shadowy creatures started to swarm out of the castle and charge at us. The tall boy growled and started towards the front of the group. Mirajane began to come over to Lucy as the boy left.

"I'm going to smash that thing to pieces," Natsu said with determination. "I've only got fifteen minutes to wreck it right?" Cana nodded.

"I'm coming with you," the blonde boy stated as he drew level with Natsu. This caused several of the nearby members to give a start of surprise.

"James is going to fight? He never fights!"

"Erza was my friend and I own Gramps. These Phantom Lord jerks think they can walk all over us and expect us to give over one of our own? Not going to happen. Not on my watch," James stated. Natsu nodded and cried, "Come on Happy!"

"Aye!" Happy grabbed a hold of Natsu and they took off towards the castle.

"Mech Magic form Jaeger!" James cried. He thursted his arms out in front of him, his arms crossed at the elbow, his fists clenched. He yanked them back so his arms were bent at ninety degrees at his hips, his fists facing up now. He became enveloped in blue energy and grew to the size of thirty stories tall. His body was now covered in thick metallic armor, cables and machinations visible under the gaps in the armor. He was heavy set in the shoulders and the domed helmet covering his face was sunk down.

"Kay, Alfman, we're going to storm the place too!" Gray ordered.

"Oh yeah!" ALfman cried.

"Climb on," James stated in a deep grumbling voice. He lowered his hand and Gray and Alfman climbed aboard. The three of them started after Natsu to help take down Phantom Lord.

Natsu landed on the Jupiter Cannon's barrel and started to pound away at it with his fire magic. Alfman, Gray, and James reached the base of the castle and James jumped. He landed on the knee of the nearest leg and then lumped again, landing at the base of the nearest tower.

"Hold on," he growled to Gray and Alfman. He jumped once more onto the castle and started to climb. A ways up, Gray and Alfman jumped off.

"We'll work our way inside!" Gray yelled. James nodded and continued towards the cannon where Natsu was. He soon found the Dragon Slayer beating uselessly against the barrel.

"Crap, I'm barely scratching the surface," Natsu said in frustration.

"Let me try," James growled. Natsu stepped back and James brought his fist down on top of the cannon. He brought them down several times before stopping, breathing a little hard.

"Damn, even with my augmented strength I can't put more than a dent in it," James breathed. "We'll have to destroy it from inside." Natsu nodded and James deactivated his Jaeger form. Together they dropped inside the massive barrel and started running towards the conversion chamber.

"Wow, what is all of this?" Natsu asked astonished. They had entered a large room filled with several spheres, a large central lacrima, and a large clock giving the countdown.

"They must be using that lacrima to collect magical energy," Happy explained.

"Yeah, but why do they need one as big as that?" Natsu asked.

"Cause magic focusing cannons don't fire regular ammunition. Instead they fire focused magical power," James explained.

"I didn't get most of that, but we just have to destroy that right?" Natsu asked. James nodded.

"I can't allow that," a voice stated. Below the members of Fairy Tail was a man in red and orange robes with black and white hair in a top knot with a sword. He had a tattoo of three black bars across his face.

"Is he a guard?" Happy asked.

"It doesn't matter. Anyone who gets in my way is going down!" Natsu yelled. He jumped at the man, his fist igniting. The man smirked and suddenly Natsu was punching himself in the face.

"Natsu why'd you hit yourself?" Happy asked.

"I didn't! My fist just went crazy!" Natsu replied confused.

"It would seem to me, you're getting in your own way," the man stated. James jumped down and joined Natsu.

"10 minutes until Jupiter fires," a voice said over the speakers.

"Move it buddy!" Natsu growled. "I got a giant cannon to demolish."

"Just destroy the lacrima in the center and it won't be able to fire," James explained.

"You can certainly try but I won't let you," the man said.

Natsu charged again and got punched in the face again.

"What's goin on here?" Natsu asked.

"We're running out of time! Break the Cannon!" Happy yelled. Natsu ignored him and charged the Phantom Lord member. He just smirked and Natsu was sent flying. Natsu kept trying to attack but never landed a hit on the guard, just himself.

"I am Totomaru and I have total control over fire," the man said.

"Damn, he's one of the Element Four," James growled.

"Yes and any form of fire is mine to do with as I please whether it be real or magical," Totomaru sneered.

"Hate to break it to yah, but you ain't contolling mine!" Natsu creid.

"Natsu, you just focus on breaking the lacrima. I'll deal with this guy," James ordered. He stepped between Natsu and Totomaru.

"Hey man, this is my fight!" Natsu protested.

"Do as I say!" James snapped. "We don't have much time!"

"Six minutes remaining," the speakers said. The four elemental lacrima started to glow and power up the central lacrima.

"Fine," Natsu grumbled. He darted to the side to try and get at the lacrima.

"Mech Magic Form Schneider!" James barked. He put his hands out in from of him, his left an open palm facing his opponent, his right a fist placed next to his other hand. James became enveloped in orange light. When it dissipated, he was covered in orange armor with white highlights. The armor was all sharp angles and planes. His face was left uncovered with time and blue blade like protrusions were on his joints. The smallest, only a few inches, on his ankles and wrists; the largest, a whole two feet, on his shoulders. In his hands we wielded two katanas made of the made blue metal as the small blades on his armor.

"Now the fight begins," James stated sternly as he took a battle stance.

* * *

 **So what you think? Leave positive comments and reviews.**


	2. To Keep from Seeing Those Tears

**Author's Note: I'm keeping the story focused on things from James' POV. So if you want to see what's going on in the rest of the world and watch everybody else's fight scenes you're going to have to watch the Anime. I'll title the chapters by the episode they're from so you can watch them accordingly.**

* * *

 **To Keep from Seeing Those Tears**

James charged Totomaru chasing the fire mage of Phantom Lord to draw his katana. Sparks flew as the blades collided.

"Natsu! Hurry up and attack the lacrima!" James ordered as he forced back Totomaru.

"Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu roared as he unleashed a huge breath of fire. Totamaru flicked his wrist and the fire was directed harmlessly into the wall.

"Pay attention!" James snapped as he brought both of his swords down. Totomaru barely dodged it and James shattered a crater into the floor. He charged the fire mage again, their blades locking.

"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" Natsu charged the lacrima again, only to be thwarted by Totomaru again.

"You keep doing that and I will end this very quickly," James growled. He deflected Totomaru's blade wide, causing it to go flying, and then swept the Element Four member's legs out from under him. Totomaru landed heavily and James slammed the hilt of his sword into Totomaru's head. His eyes rolled up in his head and he collapsed.

"Natsu hurry!" Happy squealed. "We only got thirty seconds!"

"Fire Dragon Wing Attack!" Natsu roared. His fire surged towards the central lacrima and hit Totomaru's katana were it had imbedded itself in the lacrima when James had disarmed Totomaru. The lacrima exploded as the immense magical energy contained within was suddenly and violently released. Smoke and fire filled the air and the entire room shook.

Slowly the smoke cleared and James joined Natsu and Happy.

"Good job," James smirked as he deactivated his Schneider armor. "For a second I thought we weren't going to make it. Although we sure did create a mess." James looked around examining the destruction of the firing chamber. The entire outside wall was destroyed, the barrel sinking into the sea. The lacrima were shattered and rubble lied everywhere.

"Don't get cocky. You haven't beaten me yet. Awaken the giant!" Phantom Lord's master yelled. Suddenly the entire structure began to move and shake.

"Hey what's going on?" Natsu cried out in shock.

"The whole place is tilting!" Happy squealed.

"He's awakening it right now?" Totomaru groaned, partially buried under some rubble. "There's no horizontal stabilization in here!" he cried as he went sliding. "You Fairy Tailers are through. Phantom's giant will destroy you!"

"Damn it Natsu!" James groaned as he grabbed ahold of the Dragon Slayer as he became overcome by his motion sickness.

"Knee before me you Fairy Tail brats. Or you will fall victim to my wrath. Savor your pathetic last moments before I end your pathetic lives," Master Jose gloated over the speakers. James growled and tried to support Natsu as the guild hall finally stopped shifting around. James glanced outside and noticed that the structure had changed and from what he could see did appear to have become some kind of ancient mech.

"Prepare to die Fairy Tailers!" Totomaru gloated as he dug himself out of the rubble and prepared a magic spell. James glared at him, unable to summon magic with Natsu on top of him. Suddenly Totomaru cried out in shock as ice slowly encased him. James sighed and collapsed as Alfman came up and cried, "You're not a man! You're a backwards shooting snowflake!" Totomaru cried in outrage as he was sent flying out into space.

"Thanks guys," Natsu smirked.

"What's your deal Natsu? This is just sad," Gray mocked, seeing Natsu sick. "So is all that's left of the Jupiter Cannon."

"Yeah. We blew it up." James explained.

"Then, you did good," Gray said.

"I'm going to go see what's happening outside," Happy said taking off through the broken wall.

"We're doomed!" Happy cried in despair as he flew back in. "This things making a magic circle for a spell big enough to wipe out all of Magnolia!"

"Are we ever going to catch a break?" Alfman groaned.

"Guess we should split up to find this things power source," Gray suggested. James nodded.

"Come on! Let's do this guys," Natsu said with determination. The others nodded their assent, "Yay." They headed down the nearest corridor and Alfman and Gray went separate ways while James stayed with Natsu and Happy as they tried to look for the mech's power source.

"Man this place is huge!" Natsu complained as they kept running.

"Keep moving!" James snapped. "We only have a few minutes to disable the mech before it destroys the city and Fairy Tail!"

"Wait you feel that?" Natsu asked coming to a stop.

"Yeah, feels like someone's fighting here in the castle," James stated contemplatively, slowing to a stop a few feet ahead of Natsu.

"It could be Gray! Or Alfman! We got to go help!" Happy cried.

"No," James said firmly. "Those two are strong wizards. They can handle whatever Phantom Lord has to throw at them. We need to focus on finding this thing's power source and disabling it. That is our top priority."

Natsu and Happy nodded reluctantly before the three of them started running again.

* * *

 **Sorry it takes so long to upload. I am writing these as I watch the Anime so I need lots of time to write watch and go back and rewatch so I can do this series some justice. Please review and comment! :)**


	3. A Flower Blooms in the Rain

**A Flower Blooms in the Rain**

"Hey I just thought of something awesome!" Natsu declared as we tore down the hundredth corridor.

"What?" James asked.

When we beat Jose, I beat it will put an end to this crazy fighting!" Natsu said with confidence.

"Are you out of your mind?" James cried in disbelieve. "Jose is one of the Ten Wizard Saints just like Gramps! That means he's either just as powerful or even stronger than the master. There's no way you can beat him!"

"Well Gramps is out of commission so it's got to be up to somebody else to beat that jerk!" Natsu. James face gloomed over as he thought of Gramps and Erza.

"Natsu you dummy! Why'd you have to remind us about that!" Happy whined. "Without Master Makarov and Erza there's no hope! Even if we beat the giant, there's no hope against Jose."

"Don't worry. I can handle him," Natsu said with a smirk. James chuckled and they kept running. Finally they reached a large gathering space or hall. It had a red carpet leading to a grand staircase on the other side and tall bronze pillars with blue orbs on top lining the sides.

Suddenly a large gust of wind swept through the room knocking the three members of Fairy Tail to the ground.

"How sad," a deep voice said. "I will make your wings of fire wither and die and all that will remain is a dragon's corpse."

 _Somebody likes their poetry_ James thought with a grimace.

"Say what?" Natsu cried, veins popping in his forehead.

"My name is Aria. I am the strongest of the element four. I come in hopes of hunting a dragon," the heavyset towering man in green stated. He had bandages around his eyes and was crying. A green clock whipped around behind him.

"Let me guess you use wind magic?" James sneered.

"I've dealt with your kind before," Natsu growled.

"Yeah, but this guy is much stronger than Erigor," Happy warned.

"Natsu if you plan on taking down Jose, you need to conserve your strength. Let me take this guy," James stated standing between the two wizards.

"No way! You got the last one!" Natsu protested.

"Take him together?" James suggested with a smirk. "Just to let you know though, I don't usually fight with someone so this will be interesting."

"Sure," Natsu smiled, his hands igniting.

"Mech Magic form Kleine Jaeger!" James cried. He crossed his arms; fists clenched, and then jerked them back, his arms at ninety degrees at his hips, fists face-up. His body became enveloped in blue light again. The light faded and James was encased in his Jaeger armor again, only in a much smaller version.

"This is going to be fun," Natsu smirked. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" He charged, leaping into the air to try and punch Aria. The green giant gestured with his arm and a gust of wind launched Natsu into the wall. James roared as he surged forward, his Kleine Jaeger armor allowing him to move much faster than a normal human. He came in low and just as he was about to drive his fist into Aria's gut, the giant leapt back with a gust of wind. He clapped his hands together causing a blast of air to assault James.

"You think a little wind can stop a metal man?" James smirked, his voice slightly muffled by the mech suit. He pushed through it trying to reach Aria. While his attention was on James, Natsu snuck up behind the giant and slugged him in the head with his Iron Fist. Aria gasped in pain and whipped his arm around catching Natsu in the head, flinging him into another wall. James quickly took advantage of the distraction and punched Aria in the stomach twice.

"Fist of the War Monger!" James roared as he drove a heavy uppercut into Aria's thickset jaw, launching the mountain man into the air. Aria quickly recovered and took to attacking from the air. Using the altitude difference to his advantage, Aria quickly turned the tide of the fight.

"You've endured my attacks and you're still standing. Very impressive," Aria stated evenly. It was like the man had no emotions. He was standing calmly a few yards from Natsu and James. Both were breathing hard, battered and bruised.

"Yeah, well, watch this!" Natsu charged the giant, his right hand trailing fire.

"Let's see how you fare against my air space Magic," Aria stated. "This will truly test your power." He held his hands out in front of him, palms facing forward, north and south.

"I don't see no Air Space Magic," Natsu growled. He suddenly collided with some kind of barrier and collapsed to the ground.

"An invisible spell?" Happy stated worried. "How's he supposed to fight that?"

"Careful, Natsu," James growled. "This man means business."

"Bring it!" Natsu smirked.

 _I don't know where this kid gets his confidence, but damn, you have to admire his tenacity_ James smirked.

"You're much stronger than I thought Salamander," Aria observed.

"I can take whatever you dish out," Natsu said determined. "Never underestimate the power of a Fairy Tail Wizard! I'm all fired up now so let me see what you got!"

* * *

 **I thought I'd be nice and upload another chapter given that the last one was short. Sorry bout that, but it's hard to write material when your character isn't even in the battle. Oh well! :p**


	4. Wings of Flame

**Wings of Flame**

"Air Space Zetsu!" Aria cried. A series of explosions hit Natsu and James knocking them back. "There's always someone better than you, young Dragonslayer and wizard."

"Well see about that!" Natsu cried in defiance. " Fire Dragon Roar!"

"He's gone!" Happy yelled as Aria suddenly disappeared. James growled and glanced around looking for Aria.

"I shall end this. I will allow you to join your master in his suffering!" Aria said his voice emanating from behind the Fairy Tail Wizards. Both James and Natsu turned to see the giant Air Wizard looming over them. "Air Space Drain!"

Natsu and James screamed in pain as their magical energy was slowly sucked out of them.

"I'm so sad!" Aria wailed, tears pouring down his cheeks. "Yes, because anyone caught in my Air Space will be completely drained of their powers!"

"I can feel it! My powers are being sucked out!" Natsu cried in agony. James gritted his teeth, falling to a knee as he struggled to maintain his Schenider armor. "No I can't!" Natsu cried.

Suddenly the pain ceased and Natsu and James glanced up.

"Erza," James breathed.

"You came," Natsu said in disbelief. "Are you sure it's okay for you to move? You're injured."

Erza glanced back at them, a look of quiet rage on her face. Chills ran down Natsu's, Happy's, and James' backs.

"So you're the one who hurt our master," Erza stated as Aria reappeared next to James and Natsu.

"So you're the great Erza Scarlet," Aria stated. "How unfortunate for you. Seems the brilliant Titania will lose her head alongside her friend Salamander."

"Our master suffered greatly by your hands. I will avenge him," Erza growled.

"You can't!" Natsu argued.

"Well, now that I'm facing a strong opponent, I think it's time I start taking my battles more seriously." Aria reached up and removed the bandages around his eyes with a single motion. They snapped open to reveal magenta irises with an X through them.

"Damn, now we're in trouble," James growled.

"Why?" Happy asked.

"He keeps his eyes closed to control his immense magical power. If he's removing the bandages then we are in trouble," James explained.

"Now Titania," Aria said walking towards Erza. "Step into Zero, the Air Space of Death! It consumes the lives of all who dare to enter!" A large windstorm suddenly whipped up. The additional stress was too much and James was forced to remove his Mech Magic. The wind whipped at his clothing and forced him and Natsu back as they tried to stay out of Erza's way.

"A spell that consumes life?" Erza stated, summoning a sword. "Tell me: How can you do this? How can you take lives so easily? You scoundrel!"

"It'd be more fun to show you!" Aria replied, his eye glowing a deep purple.

"Erza!"Natsu and James cried as she charged Aria.

"Let's see just how well you handle this Titania!" Aria unleashed a surge of magic and the wind formed a vortex aimed at Erza. She let loose a battle cry and charged right down the center of it, slicing her way through the wind magic.

"But how?" Aria cried in shock as Erza easily advanced on him. "She's cutting through my air space. No!"

"Heaven's Wheel!" Erza cried as she requipped into her angelic silver armor known as Heaven's Wheel and cut down the giant member of the Element Four. He collapsed to the ground.

"Man she is one scary lady," Natsu breathed.

"Someone like you could never hold a candle to someone like our master. You will only be remembered as a sobbing coward who fell by my hand," Erza stated, glaring down at the defeated Aria.

"That's so sad," Aria whimpered before passing out. Suddenly the entire giant robot shifted and started to fall down. Erza's armor disappeared and she started to collapse. James rushed forward and slid to catch her before she collapsed fully.

"I got yah," he breathed. She was weak but still conscious. Finally the robot settled and stopped moving.

"She okay?" Natsu asked. James nodded. He picked up Erza, nestling her in his arms.

"Come on let's go. We still got to beat Jose, right?" James asked Natsu.

"Right," Natsu nodded. The four Fairy Tail members started running again.

Suddenly there was a chime and a voice came on over a speaker system in the Phantom Lord Guild Hall.

"Attention you pathetic Fairy Tail worms," Jose said. "Listen carefully as I'll only say this once. We have captured your precious Lucy Heartfilia. Which means our first order of business is out of the way. That leaves us with just one more thing. My favorite part: Whipping you miserable brats off the face of the earth!"

"No way," Natsu breathed. "They got Lucy."

"Come on. We got to go save her," James ordered, holding Erza a little closer to his chest. Natsu nodded and they took off running faster. They soon came to another chamber very similar to the one they were just in.

"Natsu," Erza whimpered.

"Erza," Natsu gasped.

"Listen, use your strength. It lies dormant, deep down inside of you. Believe in yourself. Find it, find your strength and awaken it. For Lucy, for our guild. Do it now! Show me show me you can surpass me!" Erza ordered softly. Natsu nodded and suddenly his magical energy spiked like crazy.

 _Damn_ James thought. _This kid is insane. If anyone can save Lucy, it's this guy._ James gently set Erza down on the steps of the stairs.

"Natsu, you go and save Lucy. You're the only one who can. I'll stay here and look after Erza," James ordered. Natsu nodded and took off running, Happy in hot pursuit. James made sure Erza was comfortable, her head nestled gently on his lap as they two sat at the bottom of the stairs in the large gathering space. James heard footsteps and looked up to see Mirajane, Alfman, and Gray approaching. Alfman and Gray were pretty beat up and Mirajane looked worried.

"Erza?" Mirajane breathed surprised.

"She okay?" Gray asked James. James nodded. "She's a little beat up."

"Looks like something big went down downstairs," Alfman explained. "You guys take out Aria?" Erza nodded weakly.

"You shouldn't be here, Erza," Gray stated.

"Yeah, you're not looking to good," Mirajane added.

"It's okay. I've got James to look after me," Erza said with a smile. James stiffened a little but didn't move. Suddenly a dark presence came over the group. It felt like someone was breathing down their necks and clutching their hearts.

"This feeling," Erza breathed, tensing in James lap. "It sense Death."

"Guys I don't like this feeling," Gray warned.

"I'm super manly and it give me chills," Alfman added.

"Whatever it is, it's pure evil," Mirajane whispered.

James tensed as he heard slow clapping behind him footsteps as someone descended the stairs. He jumped up, draping Erza over his shoulder as he rose. Descending the stairs was a made clad in dark purple and blue robes and a top hat. Purple energy swirled around him.

"Bravo, you are all quite keen. I'm very impressed Fairy Tail wizards. I thought this would be fun, but never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be this entertaining. Annihilated the Jupiter Cannon, disposed of my elite Element Four, and you even managed to bring my magic giant to its knees," the man stated amused.

"Master Jose!" Erza gasped slowly regaining her footing. James stayed close to protect her.

"This creep?" Gray asked. "He's Phantom's Master?"

"It's like there's a black cloud hanging over him," Mirajane said, her hand at her mouth. "I feel sick just being near him."

"Thank you," Jose continued. You've been so kind to entertain me that I simply must return the favor."

"Ready?" Gray asked Alfman and James. Both nodded and readied their magic.

"I'll return it in full," Jose smiled evilly.

"Ice make saucer," Gray stated cooly.

"Beast arm!" Alfman cried.

"Mech Magic form Kleine Jaeger!" James snapped.

"NO! Don't do it!" Erza cried collapsing against a nearby pillar.

The three Fairy Tail wizards charged Master Jose as he unleashed a purple magic circle. Bolts of dark purple energy surged out of the circle and slammed into the guys. Gray and Alfman were pummeled hard and James' armor cracked. Alfman and Gray crashed into the ground and James landed weakly in a heap. Erza struggled to get back on her feet. Jose fired more magical blasts continuing to assault Gray, Alfman and James. Erza summoned a sword and charged Jose, dodging magical attacks. Erza summoned her Black Wing armor and slashed at Jose. He deftly dodged the attack and then grabbed Erza's wrists as she tries again. With a grunt of exertion, he tosses her away.

"Fascinating," Jose mused. "You took a shot form Jupiter at full force did you not? And yet you're still standing."

"Only because my friends have filled my heart with strength," Erza cried determined. "I will withstand any physical pain."

"She also doesn't stand alone," James groaned as he got to his feet. His Jaeger armor was broken and cracked and he was bleeding from a wound to the head. "Requip: Schneider!" James was enveloped in orange light and his armor changed into that of Schneider. He stood beside Erza.

"We shall protect the ones we love," they cried together.

"Powerful and courageous," Jose mused. "Destroying you two will bring me unbelievable pleasure."

James and Erza growled and surged forward, their swords flashing as they attacked Jose. He growled and fired more magical blasts at the two Fairy Tail wizards.


	5. Fairy Law

**Fairy Law**

The entire room was quaking. Rubble was falling from the destruction wrought by Erza and James' fight against Jose. Both Fairy Tail wizards were breathing hard, yet Jose was immaculate in his dress. There wasn't a scratch on the man.

"My, my, what an unruly dragon you have," Jose smirked.

"He may be unruly, but he's also an extremely powerful wizard," Erza rebuked him. She tightened her grip on her sword and James steadied his footing for the next attack. "In fact I'd say he's just as strong if not stronger than I am," Erza continued.

"There's no need to be so modest, Titania Erza," Jose said softly. "Your magic is just as spectacular as Salamanders. You two are the first wizards who have been able to last this long against me in battle. Truth be told, we'd all be equally matched in power if you hadn't taken a hit from the Jupiter Cannon and fought Aria before fighting me.

"You what irks me about Fairy Tail? The fact that there are so many powerful wizards like yourselves who ally with Makarov!" Jose held up his fist and a sudden blast of dark energy launched both James and Erza into the back wall with tremendous force. Both gasped in pain and James' Schneider armor crumbled.

"Damn," James growled, struggling to get to his feet. "I'm getting rusty if this is happening to me."

"Since you can't be tempted into joining Phantom; there's only one way to change that. Kill you!" Jose's fingers started to glow with purple light before firing bolts of magical energy. James ducked to his right behind a remaining pillar while Erza shot upwards.

Smoke filled the air as Jose continued to fire upon James and Erza as they struggled to dodge Jose's attacks.

"Mech Magic form Kleine Jaeger!" James growled as he quickly reequipped his Jaeger armor to avoid being killed by Jose's attacks.

"That the send the old coot into deep despair," Jose mocked as he pressed his attack. "Imagine how he'll feel to awaken to find that his dear guild is destroyed and his children dead and gone. He'll be lost; completely consumed by sorrow. Once he's been reduced to that miserable state, I can swoop in and kill him. But first I'll make him suffer. I'll torture him until he has no choice but to wither and die."

James roared in anger as he charged Jose and Erza came in high bringing her sword down in a heavy overhand slash. Jose easily dodged their attacks, moving so fast he seemed to flash out of sight for a second.

"For as long as I can remember, Phantom Lord has always been at the top," Jose continued. "We had the most powerful members with the most powerful spells. He also had the most capital and more members than any other guild. However recently Fariy Tail has begun to catch up and our position is in jeopardy. The names Erza, Laxus, and Mystogan became wildly know and stories of Salamander spread like wildfire. Now Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord are consider equals; the top two guilds representing this kingdom. Ha! The thought disgusts me. I refuse to be acquainted with such a feeble guild!"

"Silence!" Erza screamed as he slashed at Jose again. He dodged effortlessly again and came to stand on top of a pile of rubble. Erza pointed her sword at him in anger as she cried, "So we're fighting for our lives because you had a fit of jealousy!"

"Jealousy?" Jose asked amused. "No, I simply wanted to prove that we are the dominant guild."

"Really?" James scoffed. "You are so petty." He charged Jose throwing punches and kicks, smashing the pile of rubble Jose had been standing on to dust, but Jose dodged James' attacks with a rather bored expression on his face. Jose unleashed a burst of Shade Magic throwing James into a half crumbled wall, further destroying it. Erza attacked but she was dealt a similar fate. Then Jose grabbed both of them in a series of dark purple tendrils with skeletal faces on the ends. James and Erza screamed in pain as the magic tendrils shocked and squeezed them.

"While I've never been particularly fond of your guild, my distaste for you is not why I triggered this war with you. We were hired by the patriarch of the Heartfilia family to find his missing daughter," Jose explained.

"Lucy," Erza moaned. She gasped in pain as Jose tightened his hold.

"The child of one of the kingdom's wealthiest now in Fairy Tail. So Makarov is trying to buy his way to the top isn't he?" Jose snarled. James and Erza screamed in pain as Jose shocked them with dark red lightening. "Now that your guild has unfettered access to the Heartfilia fortune, it's only a matter of time before that happens. That is if we don't completely wipe you out first!"

A shocked and confused look came over Jose's face as Erza smirked and laughed at him. James regarded them both as if they had lost their minds: Jose greed and Jealousy, Erza too many hits and stress.

"It's laughable. How incredibly concerned you are about something as silly as your guild's ranking. But I'm more amused by how terribly misinformed you are about Lucy," Erza smirked.

"What?"

"Lucy came to us as a runaway!" Erza explained. "She doesn't have access to her family fortune! She rents a place for 70,000 jew a month. She works hard to make a living. She fights alongside us. She laughs with us and she cries with us. She is no different than any other member of our guild! And she is why we are at war! She may be the daughter of the Heartfilia family, but just as flowers don't get to choose where they bloom, children don't get to choose their parents. You don't know don't know anything about Lucy or the tears she's shed!"

"Well I'll find out soon enough!" Jose snapped. He smirked sadistically as he said, "I'm not going to hand her over to her father without reaping a benefit of some sort. I'll make her my prisoner until her father meets my demands! I'm going to bleed the Heartfilia family of their fortune and their precious money-making businesses!"

"Curse you!" James snarled. Erza and he tried to struggle and escape their prisons but Jose's magic was too strong.

"I wouldn't keep struggling like that if I were you," Jose taunted as he summoned two glowing purple skeletal ghosts. "It will just make this more painful!" The ghosts surged forward and started to suck the life force from James and Erza. Both screamed in unimaginable pain.

"You're not feeling very well are you now?" Jose smiled manically. "You're going to have to buck up because it's almost time. I want you to make an appearance before your peers. Once they've seen their beloved comrades in such pitiful states, they're sure to surrender to us!"

"You despicable man!" Erza snapped.

"You scum!" James growled. The pain was making him lose his concentration and his armor was starting to crack. If it kept up for much longer, his Kleine Jaeger armor would disappear and he'd be fully exposed to Jose's magic.

"Now, now, insulting me like that won't help your situation," Jose mocked. He increased the pressure of his magic causing both Fairy Tailers to cry out. Erza grimaced in pain and focused on her sword. James noticed it as it hovered near her back.

"Erza no!" James cried out.

Suddenly a bright white light came over everything and James and Erza were no longer in Jose's grasp. Their armors slowly healed as well as their wounds thanks to a soft white light that enveloped them.

"But how?" Erza asked astonished. Both she and James were gently lowered to the floor and collapsed. James looked over his shoulder to see Master Makarov drifting down from pile of rubble that led to the outside. He was wearing his white Wizard Saint uniform.

"You have shed the blood of our children and that is unforgivable," Makarov growled. "They have been made to suffer because of the incompetence of their parents. We are _both_ to blame Jose. This war has gone on long enough. Let's end this here and now."

"Master," Erza smiled warmly. She was so happy to see the man who had raised her alive and well again. James smirked as he saw the old man. "Good to see you up Gramps," he whispered softly.

"If we fight it could create a catastrophe," Jose grinned evilly as he clenched his fist. His eyes had turned pure black, his irises yellow and tiny. Furrows formed in Makarov's forehead and veins popped. He formed an orb of light on his left index finger. Both his and Jose's magic presence spiked immensely as they prepared to fight.

"In order to save my guild I will gladly take that risk!" Makarov growled. Jose cackled in anticipation. Jose unleashed several powerful tendrils of dark magic. Master Makarov created white Magic Circles that intercepted and blocked the tendrils.

"You kids need to get out of here," Makarov ordered. Gray and Alfman made sounds of protest as they recovered due to Master Makarov's healing magic. James shook his head and said, "No, we won't be of any help. We need to get out!"

"Let's go," Erza ordered.

"But-" Gray protested. Erza glared and Gray backed down.

"Well now that you're here, I have no interest in those children of yours. I'll exterminate those pests after I've finished you off," Jose gloated.

"If we stay here, we'll only get in the way. Master can handle this. I have faith," Erza explained. Together the Fairy Tail members retreated through one of the larger holes created during the fighting that lead directly to the outside.

Once outside James reequipped to his larger Jaeger armor and carefully cared the others down the remains of the Phantom Lords' guild hall. A shell of light had encased the building. The clouds could be seen twirling above and lightening split the sky.

"This can't be good," Gray gulped.

"This is what happens when two Wizard Saints as powerful as Jose and Master Makarov fight," Erza explained. "They're distorting nature itself."

James braced against the building as a sudden explosion of magical energy rocked the entire structure. The others tensed and held on tight as James continued to move. Suddenly the sky above was lit with a bright yellowish white light as a massive Magic Circle formed above the guild hall. Master Makarov could be heard as he intoned, "I invoke Fairy Law."

There was a bright, intense flash as the entire area was engulfed in the light.

"This is Fairy Law," Erza explained as James deposited them on the shoreline. He deactivated his armor and collapsed to the ground.

"What is that?" Gray asked.

"A spell that vanquishes darkness with sacred light. It only affects those the caster sees as his enemy," Erza explained. "Incredible isn't it? It's one of the most legendary spells in existence."

The light slowly faded and smoke could be seen rising from a very large hole in the giant robot. Master Makarov could be seen near a collapsed Jose. The entire Fairy Tail guild cried out in joy as they realized they had won the war.

"Alright we beat Phantom!" They cried.

"We are victorious!" Makarov cried out to his children. "But I had very little to do with it. This victory is yours my children!"

* * *

 **AN: Sorry for skipping** **The Two Dragon Slayers episode but there was no way I could slip in James and his story. That episode was all Natsu. I hope you enjoyed this though. This ends the Phantom Lord arc and hopefully in my next chapter we get to cover James' powers and how he came to Fairy Tail. Also, I am starting college soon so I won't be able to post as often. It takes over an hour to compose these from the anime. I will try to do weekly updates but bare with me if i fall behind. Thanks for reading.**


	6. My Resolve

**My Resolve**

"It's in ruins," Master Makarov moaned. "They really did a number on it." The entirety of Fairy Tail was gathered around the remains of the guild hall after the defeat of Phantom Lord. Spirits were still high from their victory but it wasn't without its cost. James picked up a random brick before tossing it back dejectedly and walking away from the guild hall.

"Master… I- I'm so sorry," Lucy said, tears in her eyes.

"Ah dear child, you've been through a lot lately, but don't let it get you down," Gramps said warmly.

"Yeah, let's see a smile, Lucy!" a warm familiar voice said.

"Levy?" Lucy cried in surprise.

"Yep," the blue haired member of Shadow Gear. "We're back." She winked and smirked at her sad blonde friend.

"You're alright," Lucy breathed.

"We beat Phantom, so there's no reason for you to be sad," Levy explained. The rest of her team and Reedus were behind her.

"Sure they destroyed our guild hall," Droy started.

"But we're going to build it even bigger and better," Jet finished.

"Oui," Reedus added tiredly.

"Yeah," Lucy replied sadly.

"I'm sorry we had you so worried Lucy," Levy apologized.

"No," Lucy gasped. "It was all my fault!"

"We heard about your secret, but there's not a single member of the guild who thinks you're to blame," Levy explained.

"She's right," Reedus added. "In fact I own _you_ an apology." He scratched his head nervously.

"Lucy," Master Makarov said somberly, "Though we may not be able to share our feelings of happiness and sadness entirely, we do share them to some extent. That's what happens in a guild. One person's happiness becomes everyone's happiness; one person's anger becomes everyone anger; and one person's tears becomes everyone's tears. There's no reason for you to feel guilty. So don't cry. You should already know about how much everyone here cares about you."

Lucy started crying hard. James stiffened at seeing her tears and couldn't help but come over and gently touch her shoulder again and the poor girl wept at everyone's kindness towards her.

"Hold your head high my dear," Makarov smiled. "Because you are a proud member of the Fairy Tail family.

"It's okay," James whispered. Lucy clutched at his shirt as she continued to cry, the stress and everyone's love overwhelming her. James stood awkwardly as he held her, gently rubbing between her shoulders.

"Well I am glad everything's worked out, but I am worried about the Council. They'll be furious I'm sure," Makarov mumbled to himself. "I'd hate to think it but I might even be looking at prison time." Tears poured down his face.

About a week after the attack, Rune Knights appeared from the Magic Council and the investigation began. They were relentless in their questioning. But Fairy Tail told them the truth. They told the Council representatives that Fairy Tail had attacked first and instigated the war. The Magic Council decided to give a ruling on Fairy Tail's punishment at a later date. Phantom Lord was disband.

 **Several days later…**

"Hey, James why don't you use that Mech Magic of yours to help with repairs?" Gray asked as they continued to work on rebuilding the Guild Hall.

"Like I have told you before, I don't like to use my magic unless I have to," James growled. He was becoming irritated at all the questions people kept asking him now that he had made a rather public display of his power.

There was a crash nearby and James and Gray looked over to see that Natsu had picked up too many pieces of timber and they had collapsed on him.

"That's what you get for carrying too much, you moron," Gray stated coolly.

"What you call me?" Natsu growled in outrage.

"You got a problem?" Gray and Natsu got right in each other's faces and James had to go over and break it up.

"Get back to work. Direct that energy into something useful," James stated evenly, giving both of them a death stare. That calmed both Natsu and Gray down, that and the fact Erza was staring at them as well.

"I abhor violence," James muttered as he noticed Gray and Natsu shooting each other dirty looks as they continued to work. James looked over and saw Gramps helping put some of the upper support beams together and sighed. He went and collected more lumber and proceeded to go about working on the jointing for the support.

During lunch time Natsu, Gray, and Erza came and found James sitting on a pile of bricks as he ate his lunch.

"Hey, want some company?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah, we got a wonderful packed lunch somebody gave me," Gray offered. James looked up from his sandwich to see the proffered lunch. He raised an eyebrow at the fact that some of the food had Gray's face on it.

"It's good," Erza added. James glanced over her shoulder and saw Loke approaching.

"Hey could you guys do me a favor?" Loke asked hesitantly. He held up a pouch with the Fairy Tail emblem on it and James could hear the jingle of keys. "When I was in town I found Lucy's Gate Keys. Could you give them back to her?"

"Oh, hey man. We were wondering where you had run off to," Gray said.

"You were looking for her keys this whole time?" Natsu asked.

"You okay?" James asked. Loke was looking pale and kind of ill. He pushed his shades up and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little beat. You know being a gentleman is pretty draining."

"We haven't seen Lucy in a while," Erza stated. "She's probably still recovering."

"We should go and check on her," Natsu suggested. "Why don't you come with us?"

"No thanks I'll pass," Loke dismissed. "You know I'm no good around Celestial Wizards." He then turned and left.

"Oh, come on! This is Lucy we're talking about!" Natsu whined.

"Natsu, let the man be," James growled.

"Come on let's go see Lucy," Erza stated. Together Natsu, Gray, Happy, Erza, and James all went over to Lucy's place. It was empty.

"Where is she?" Gray asked. "She should be yelling at us to leave by now."

"I wonder where she could be," Erza mused.

They then proceeded to search about the house looking for their lost friend. This led to some hilarity including Gray finding Natsu fully clothed in the tub.

"What the hell man?" Gray snapped at Natsu.

"What?" Natsu asked innocently.

"Lucy?" Happy asked near her dresser. He and Natsu looked inside and paled. The others gathered around to see what was up and all paled. James was busy looking around her desk for a note.

"Where do you buy underwear like this?" happy asked aghast.

"That's underwear?" Gray asked incredulous.

"I've never seen anything like that!" Erza stated. "When would you even wear that?"

"Family gathering?" Natsu suggested. The others quickly shot him down.

"Guys!" James snapped glaring at them. "Keep out of the poor girl's clothes!" James finally noticed something hiding under an inkwell. He picked it up and read it out loud: "I will go home- Lucy."

"Dear Mom, today was a very special day. Today I joined the Fairy Tail guild," Natsu said. James looked over his shoulder and saw that Natsu and Happy had found a chest full of letters.

"Hey don't go reading her stuff!" Gray snapped nervously.

"I meet the most beautiful wizard named Erza who's actually really nice and cool. She's always yelling at Natsu and Gray," Natsu continued.

"Are all these letters addressed to her mom?" Gray asked as he knelt beside the chest and rifled through them.

"Looks that way," Happy stated. James came over and said, "I found something." He held up the note and read it aloud again.

"I will go home."

The sun was setting as the members of Fairy Tail finally came upon the Heartfilia Mansion. They took off running as they saw a familiar figure near a statue of a beautiful angelic woman.

"Lucy!" They cried out. "Lucy!"

"You're here!" Lucy cried out confused. She was then tackled by Happy as he flew into her crying. Natsu and Gray then tried to tell her why she can't quit Fairy Tail, before Lucy finally could tell them she was just trying to say a proper good-bye to her father and friends here at the mansion. She wanted to prevent another attack on Fairy Tail.

"Sorry guys, I didn't mean to freak you out," Lucy apologized as they headed back.

"No need to apologize," Erza smirked.

"Yeah, it's all Natsu's fault," James smirked. "He's the one who was jumping to conclusions."

"Was not!" Natsu protested. "We all thought she was leaving!"

"You maybe," James sneered.

"I got to tell you, I'm kind of digging your hometown," Gray said appreciatively.

"Me too," Erza said softly. "It's such a peaceful place."

"Oh, it's not a town. This is just a part of the garden. The Hearfilia Estate goes all the way up to that mountain over there," Lucy said pointing towards a mountain some miles still in the distance.

"Holy crap she's rich!" Gray exclaimed.

"And acts like it's nothing!" Natsu cried.

James smirked at their outcries and Lucy's embarrassment. They gang was soon laughing and screwing around like usually.

* * *

 **Sorry, wasn't able to get in back story this time. But, i will next chapter. Or fill you guys in little by little. We'll see what happens. Til next time.**


	7. Filler Chapter

**Filler Chapter**

 **AN: Since there's a couple of filler eps and a mini-arc between the Phantom Lord and Tower of Heaven arcs, I figured I'd make a filler ep of my own to enlighten you and the Members of Team Natsu to James' past. Hope you enjoy. (This takes place after the Loke Arc but just before Team Natsu goes on their vacation.)**

Natsu was strolling down a street in Magnolia on his way to Lucy's. Happy was humming softly as he floated alongside his friend. Natsu noticed a figure heading his way and realized it was James. Natsu ran up to him and said, "Hey man where you been?"

"Just out doing a job Gramps requested me to do," James stated offhandedly. "I've been slacking in my duties lately and getting rusty. Both Gramps and I figured it would be a good idea."

"What mission did he send you on?" Natsu asked.

"That mission in Lily Town," James explained.

"Wasn't that on the one to take care of some kind of monster or group of thugs menacing the villagers?" Happy asked.

"Group of bandits," James clarified.

"Cool!" Natsu exclaimed getting excited. Then a realization hit him. "Wait! That was an S-class mission! How did you get that mission?"

"Easy," James smirked. "I'm clearly an S-class wizard. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go submit my report to Master Makarov and I'd like to clean the road dirt off of me."

"Yeah, sure," Natsu said calming down. "Hey, we're headed to Lucy's. If you want you could come over and hang out with us."

"I'll think about it," James called over his shoulder as he headed towards the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. He soon arrived and found it as loud and rowdy as usual. Sighing, and hoping to escape the noise, James headed upstairs to one of the upper floors and then down the hall. He unlocked a nondescript door, similar to all the others in the guild hall and stepped inside.

The room was small, but spacious with a connected bathroom. Along one wall was nothing but floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with material ranging from engineering and mechanics to fantasy novels. A small bookcase sat next to the twin bed. This one was adorned with small action figures and models that James had painstakingly rebuilt and repaired after they had been damaged when the original guild hall had been destroyed. At the foot of the bed was a large trunk that held all of James' clothes and the bed was fitted with dark blue sheets and blanket. A window with a ledge large enough for James to sit on was situated directly across from the door with the bed on its left and the bookcases on the right. The bathroom was located to James' left.

Rolling his neck to relieve some of the stiffness there, James removed his black dress shirt and the grey undershirt revealing a scarred, toned body. He shuffled into the bathroom, weariness overtaking him. He took a hot shower, hoping to loosen his muscles up. Stepping out of the shower, James toweled himself dry before wrapping a clean towel around his narrow waist.

He wiped the condensation off of his mirror and looked at his reflection. People told him he was good-looking or handsome but he failed to see it. He had narrow, sharp features with pale blue eyes. He kept his hair short. Running a hand through his still damp hair, James let out a weary sigh and walked out of the bathroom. He couldn't stand to stare at himself for too long. The sad, mournful look in his eyes, the accusation he saw there, always got to him.

Dressing in black slacks, and a longsleeved black muscle shirt, James headed back out into the twilight. He wandered around aimlessly until he realized he had unconsciously ended up in front of Lucy's apartment. The lights were on inside and loud cheerful noise could be heard inside. With a tired smirk, James knocked on the door.

Lucy answered.

"James?" She squeaked. "Wha- what are you doing here?"

"Natsu invited me over. I hope I'm not intruding," James stated smoothly. "I can leave if you want me to."

"No!" Lucy cried, a little too loudly. "No, you can stay," she added softer. James gave her an easy smile and slipped inside the door. Lucy's apartment was small, smaller still with all the people inside. Gray, Erza, Natsu, and Happy were all there and Lucy's table was covered in the leftovers of dinner.

"Save any for me?" James joked.

"Sorry," Natsu reddened. "I kind of ate it all." He gave a loud burp and reclined. "Didn't think you'd actually come. Ever since that incident with Phantom Lord you've been avoiding us."

"Not just us, but all of Fairy Tail," Gray stated.

"I'm not avoiding you," James argued, taking a sit on Lucy's window sill. "I just don't like being around a lot of people." Gray nodded in understanding and an awkward silence fell on the group.

"Um, James…," Lucy started awkwardly to break the silence. James looked up expectantly. "I want to thank you for your part in helping save me," Lucy finished in a hurry.

"No problem," James said softly. He gave her a soft, sad smile. "Just doing my part as a member of Fairy Tail."

"I would have thanked you earlier, but I was recovering and things got kind of crazy with all the jobs we started taking on and you kind of disappeared," Lucy explained. James just waved her excuse away.

"What were you doing during all that time?" Erza asked concerned. James looked at her and said, "Training."

"Training?" Natsu asked confused. "But you said you're an S-class wizard. Why would you need to train?"

"I should have been more honest with you when I said I was an S-class." James scratched his neck, nervously. "To be correct, I used to be an S-class wizard. But back a couple of years, I went on a mission that didn't end well. I nearly died, nearly killed hundreds of people because I was stupid. So I quit."

"Quit?" Gray asked agitated. "What do you mean quit?"

"He stopped going on mission,"Erza explained sipping a cup of tea. "He quit being an S-class wizard."

"That's right, you were with me on that mission," James mused, his features clouding over.

"How do you quit being an S-class wizard?" Lucy asked. "I know Mirajane was once an S-class wizard and isn't any more, but how do you just decide to quit?"

"You just stop," James growled. Lucy started a little at James sudden aggravation. "I don't want to die," James continued in a low tone. "I stopped being an S-class wizard because I was afraid the next mission I took would result in my death or the death of someone close to me."

"Well that's stupid," Natsu said out of the blue. James' head snapped up and he glared at the pink-haired youth.

"What did you say?" James growled, his right hand glowing with magic energy.

"I said you're being stupid. Just cause you fear death doesn't mean you should stop going on missions," Natsu stated unfazed. "That just means you have to fight harder to ensure that you don't die. You don't want to die, then fight so that you won't."

"Easy for you to say," James growled. "You have friends, people who care about you, reasons to keep fighting, to keep living. I have none of that!"

Erza shot James a hurt look, though it was quickly concealed before she said, "That's not true and you know it."

"I'm a loner Erza," James whispered. "I don't have friends and it's going to stay that way."

"What if we wanted to be your friends?" Lucy asked innocently.

"Why would you want that?" James asked confused.

"Well, because you helped save me and you're our fellow guild member," Lucy stated.

"Everyone should have friends," Gray added. "There's no reason to be lonely in this world. There are lots of people to be with."

"Thanks guys," James said, emotion choking his voice.

"It's settled then, you're the newest member of our team!" Natsu exclaimed.

"What?" James looked at Natsu very confused.

"Yeah. This way you have friends and people to make sure you don't die," Natsu said happily, as if it was obvious. James couldn't help but laugh at the young wizard's happy attitude.

"Plus, that magic of yours is really strong. It would be a great help with our missions," Gray added.

"What kind of magic do you have?" Lucy asked confused.

"That's right you never got to see it," Natsu said. "Hey James why don't you show her that cool giant blue thing you turned into!"

"How about no," James stated cheerily. "But I can show her this. Mech Magic form right arm of Schneider!" Forgoing the hand gesture that went with the armor, a small orange magic circle formed around his shoulder. The circle was made of sharp, angular runes inside concentric circles. The circle slowly moved down James' shoulder, encasing it in his armor. When the circle reached his fingertips, it flashed out of existence. Just before vanishing, a pair of angelic wings could be seen in the center of the circles.

Flexing his arm, James showed it to Lucy who was in awe. She touched the cool metal of James' armor and was amazed.

"That is so cool!" Lucy breathed. "So is it like some kind of Take Over magic like Alfman's?"

"Yes, and no," James said, shutting down his armor. Flexing his flesh and bone hand, he continued. "What my magic does is it takes the iron in my body and mixes it with magical energy to create a mechanical armor that I can use to fight. It literally turns the outside of my body into a living machine. I like to think of it as a mix between Take Over and Requip magic because I have several armors that I can use. But it requires a lot of magical energy to use and has, on several incidences, nearly cost me my life."

"Oh, wow that's cool," Lucy stated. "It'll be really cool to see it in action someday."

"Good to have you on board," Gray smirked. The others smiled and for once James felt wanted.


	8. Tower of Heaven

**Tower of Heaven**

James sat sequestered under a beach umbrella reading a magazine about the latest in mechanical developments as the rest of his teammates ran around enjoying themselves. Lucy and Natsu were out wakeboarding, Natsu was looking ill; Happy was prancing around in the hot sand; and Gray and Erza were tossing a volleyball back and forth. Loke had given the team a bunch of tickets to Akane Resort after thanking them for looking after Lucy and revealing he was the Celestial Being Leo.

"Hey James, why don't you join us?" Gray asked.

"That's alright. You have fun. I'm okay over here," James called back.

"Come on man, we're supposed to be enjoying ourselves. This is the first time in a long time that we've been able to cut loose," Gray whined. James sighed and replied, "But I am having fun. This is my kind of fun." He propped up the magazine so Gray could see. Not letting up, Gray and Erza came and dragged James out so he could join in a game of beach volleyball with them and the rest of the team. Soon James found himself having plenty of fun as he joined Team Natsu in their antics.

The sun began to fall and the sky darkened. The team packed it in for the day and retreated to their hotel rooms. James changed into dark jeans and a black shirt that opened at the collar. He went out and watched the waves crash against the beach for a bit as the sun slowly set. He frowned as the scene brought back painful memories for him.

"Mom, Dad, I miss you so much," he whispered tearfully.

A sudden gasp to his right drew his attention and he turned to see Erza reclining on her balcony in her black bikini.

"Hey you okay?" James asked concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Didn't realize I had fallen asleep," Erza said brushing him off. James could see she had been shaken up by something though. Erza disappeared back into her hotel room leaving James alone on the balconies. A knock on his door drew his attention. Opening it he saw Natsu, Happy, and Gray.

"Hey," James said by way of greeting.

"We're headed down to the casino," Gray explained. "Want to join us?"

"I'm not sure," James stated reluctantly. "Crowds really aren't my thing."

"Dude, cute girls," Gray stated teasingly. James couldn't help but smirk and nodded. "Sure let's go."

The casino was full of people dressed in expensive attire: suits, dress clothes, cocktail dresses. Gray hadn't been kidding when he said there would be lots of cute girls. They were all walking around with their arms bare or in long gloves, their faces and hair done up, and were showing off their legs. The room was large, spacious enough so that James didn't feel crowded despite being surrounded by people. Rollercoaster and amusement park rides ran through areas of the large gathering hall and casino games were dotted throughout along with bars selling refreshments and food.

Natsu and Happy immediately headed for a large lottery ball machine while Gray headed over to one of the blackjack tables. James decided to follow him, because Natsu was already whining about how the lottery game was cheating him.

 _They're rigged you idiot_ James thought shaking his head.

"Shall I deal you in sir?" the cute dealer at the blackjack table asked James.

"Um, no thanks. I think I'll just watch my friend for the moment. Pretty soon Gray was raking in a large deal of money. James suddenly realized someone was at his shoulder. He looked down and saw a shy, but beautiful young woman with blue hair and deep blue eyes. She was wearing a navy blue cocktail dress that tied at her neck leaving her back bare, with a plunging neckline that revealed much of her ample chest. Around her neck was a large golden pendant of the Fairy Tail crest. The dress stopped just above her knees and she had on matching high heeled shoes.

"Gray, my darling, I'm Juvia. Do you remember me?" the girl asked in a subdued, but sweet voice.

"Yeah, you're that chick from Phantom!" Gray snapped annoyed.

"What?" James asked confused.

"She's one of the Element Four!" Gray explained. "I had to fight her when we were saving Lucy."

James grunted in acknowledgement and Gray withdrew from the game with his substantial winnings so they could talk more privately. The trio headed over to one of the bars and James ordered a round of drinks. He was starting to get a headache from the noise and lights and needed something to tide him over.

"I heard Phantom was disbanded," James stated, relaying information he had heard via his many trips.

"That had to have been tough on you," Gray sympathized.

"Yes, but now I am a free wizard and can join any guild I want to!" Juvia stated excitedly.

"I see," Gray mused. "And I take it you want to be a member of Fairy Tail, huh?"

"Oh yes! Very much so!" Juvia squealed.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," James said over his drink. "There's still a lot of bad feeling and grievances over what happened."

"I don't mind," Gray stated. "But the others might not be as forgiving and who knows what Master will say." James grunted and took a long draft of his drink before ordering a second.

"I promise I'll do whatever it takes!" Juvia said with a determined smile.

"If I were you I'd be careful about making promises like that," Gray smirked. James suddenly tensed as he sensed someone behind them.

"Gray Fullbuster? James Price?" a deep voice asked. James, Gray, and Juvia turned around to see a very large man wearing a turban and black eye-patch over his left eye. His lower jaw was covered in a large metal plate and he wore an open vest over his heavily muscled chest. Billowing pants covered his legs. A pale blue magic circle appeared over his eye and suddenly the bar exploded.

 _Crap!_ James thought. _What now?_ He activated his Jaeger armor, just covering his right arm. Gray and Juvia were caught in some of the rubble. Juvia looked hurt and Gray was just pissed.

"What do you think you're doing?" Gray snarled.

"Who are you?" James demanded.

"Where is Erza?" the mountain man simply asked.

"Don't know who you're talking about," James lied.

"Erza?" Gray whispered confused.

"Where is she?" the man asked again.

"You think we'd tell you?" James growled. His fist started to glow as his anger mounted. A swirl of water appeared next to Gray and then condensed into Juvia.

"I won't allow you to so much as lay a finger on my beloved!" Juvia stated in defiance. She threw her arms out to protect Gray. "You'll have to go through me first." Then to Gray she whispered, "Erza needs your help right now. I fear she's in grave danger."

"Go Gray. We can handle Metal Mouth here," James ordered. Gray nodded and started to run to look for Erza.

"Ah, you've located her," the stranger stated in a distracted tone. His hand was to his temple as if he was concentrating on something else. That stopped Gray cold.

"Gray go! Now!" James snapped.

"Yes, I see," the man continued. "So shall I clean things up here? Understood."

Suddenly the entire room went dark.

"What happened to the lights?" Gray cried out.

 _This is bad_ James thought. "Mech Magic form Schnitter," James whispered. He became enclosed in black armor. His helmet gave the appearance of a hooded, masked figure, the faceplate a smooth opaque surface that absorbed light. A small cloak covered his left hip and the armor plating covering his forearms was thicker than the rest of his armor.

Despite the darkness, James could see clearly now.

"It's magic of the dark lineage," the man explained. "Dark Moment." He moved so fast James momentarily lost sight of him. James turned around and saw the man behind them forming a large powerful magic circle. James threw himself into his friends as the man attacked them. A second explosion rocked the trio as they were thrown into more rubble. James groaned and saw the man turn to leave.

"You won't get away," James whispered. He raised his right arm and a black pellet shot from the thickened armor plating. It adhered to the man's pant leg before he vanished again and the lights came back on.

"What the hell?" James asked confused. Suddenly everyone was gone. The only people around were him and Juvia. James groaned and let his armor deactivate. James groaned in pain and struggled to move. The rubble had collapsed on top of him. He pushed it off and went over to Juvia.

"Juvia! Juvia wake up! Juvia where's Gray!" James growled. She moaned and got up. As she sat up, Gray was revealed to be hiding under her.

"I pulled him inside me to protect him," Juvia explained. Hiding his look of momentary disgust, James helped them both to their feet.

"Yeah, but I couldn't do anything and the creep got away," Gray stated.

"Not really," James said. "I tagged him with a magical tracer. Now let's go find the others."

Suddenly a large blast of fire drew their attention to the remnants of the lottery machine Natsu had been playing earlier.

"Natsu what happened to you?" Gray asked.

"What kind of jerk shoots people in the mouth?" Natsu cried indignantly. "I mean someone could get really hurt."

"I think that would kill anyone who wasn't insane like you are." James shook his head. "Come on let's go find Lucy." The team took off and soon found Lucy bound in some kind of orange rope. Surrounding her were playing cards, but inside the cards were people, trapped.

"Lucy what happened?" James asked. "Mech Magic form blade of Schneider." He summoned one of the small blades from his armor and used it to cut Lucy free.

"A bunch of people came and took Erza and Happy. They sounded like they knew her, too!" Lucy explained.

"Come on! I got a score to settle!" Natsu roared. He took off running at a great speed.

"Follow him!" Gray cried.

"What does he even know where he's going?" Lucy asked.

"Natsu's got a nose for prey that would put even wild animals to shame," Gray explained.

"Plus, if that man who attacked us is with those who took Erza I can track him," James added. They took off after Natsu as he exited the resort and took off down the beach.

* * *

 **AN: Sorry if you felt like you had to wait. I have been busy. I am curious: Do you guys want me to include Erza's backstory during the episode occurs? Do you think its is important to write it all out or can I just summarize? I don't feel like it will add or take from James' story, but the readers come first. So PM me your opinion. I started a poll, but I am not sure if it will work. Just let me know what you think somehow. Thanks for reading.**


	9. Jellal

**Jellal**

"I'm worried about those people stuck in the cards. Do you think they're okay?" Lucy asked, her voice full of concern.

"We let the military know about them before we left so I'm sure they'll be fine," Gray stated reassuring her.

"I hope so." Lucy hugged herself and looked out over the sea. The Fairy Tail wizards had commandeered a small row boat and were following after Erza's kidnappers.

"Wait a minute," Gray raised his head suddenly. "Where the heck are we?"

"We're only a few miles away from the people who took Erza," James explained quickly. He was studying a magic circle in his palm. On it were two glowing dots; one for the brute he tagged and the other for his location. Natsu had been of little help tracking the people who had attacked the Fairy Tail wizards because of his motion sickness.

"I can't believe how easily those guys were able to knock us out and kidnap Erza," Gray moaned, thinking about the strange wizards from Akane Resort. "That was pathetic."

"In your defense, they must have been powerful wizards to defeat someone like Erza," James suggested.

"What?" Gray snapped. "They didn't beat her! Quit talking like that! What do you know about her?"

"Plenty," James whispered.

"Those guys who attacked us said they were old friends of Erza's. Which makes me wonder if we know her any better than James," Lucy whispered.

Suddenly Natsu got up and started looking around. "I just got a weird feeling, guys." James looked up and saw that the sky was darkening. The birds that had been flying overhead suddenly cried out and acting weird. The boat bumped up against something causing the group to search the water. They were surrounded by debris and dead fish.

"I've never seen anything like this," Juvia whispered scared.

"That's wreckage from a Fiore Naval ship," Gray stated as a insignia could be seen on a chuck of hull.

"Okay, I'm creeped out," Lucy whimpered.

"Hey, what's that?" Natsu was looking at a massive tower made of twisted metal nestled on an island made of jagged rock. Dark clouds hung overhead and an ominous feeling filled the air.

"That must be the Tower of Heaven!" Lucy gasped.

"I'll protect us!" Juvia stated. She summoned as sphere of water around the boat stating it would keep the group from being spotted. James and Gray worked to make the boat move faster so as to reach the shore. The young wizards disembarked and carefully headed towards the tower.

Hiding amongst the jagged rocks along the shore, the wizards started looking for a secluded way into the tower. James wanted to avoid detection and get Erza out as quickly as possible. Unfortunately as soon as they neared the Tower, the wizards noticed a lot of guards.

"They got a ton of look outs," Gray whispered.

"Let's charge them!" Natsu snarled.

"Don't even think about it!" snapped Lucy.

"You guys stay here. I'm going to try and sneak around and find a safer way through," James instructed. He activated his Schnitter armor and faded into the shadows. James fleeted through the shadows and found a cave system not too far from where the others were.

 _Best see if it actually helps_ James thought. He slowly moved his way through the caves avoiding more guards until he found a large cavern underneath the Tower. The cavern was filled with walkways, pillars and strange glyphs. Slinking along a ledge, James noticed a stairwell that lead deeper into the complex.

 _That must be it. Best go get the others_ James thought.

"Intruders!" a guard rang out. Head snapping towards the noise, James saw that the others had somehow managed to get inside the cavern.

"You just couldn't say put could you?" James growled. Guards suddenly filled the walkways and surrounded the other Fairy Tail wizards.

"Identify yourselves!" the head guard ordered.

"You losers want to know who we are? We're the wizards who are going to pound your faces in!" Natsu yelled. He unleashed a fire blast that created a large smoke cloud. "We're from Fairy Tail!" He yelled as the others attacked.

 _Best join the party_ James smirked. "Mech Magic form Jaeger!" Jumping into the air, James became encased in his massive blue armor. Towering over the guards, James struck fear into them. The other Fairy Tail wizards rallied around James and charged with their magic's. They quickly and viciously defeated the guards. Reverting back to human form, James grabbed the nearest still conscious guard and growled, "Where's Erza?"

"Prison cell, thirtieth floor," he whimpered. Dropping him, James led the group towards a stairwell he had noticed. The top of it was seal shut. Just as James was about to smash it to pieces, the door opened.

"What the?" Natsu gaped.

"I think it's their way of letting us in," Gray explained. James nodded and the group quickly ascended the stairs.

"Hey blockhead!"Natsu roared.

"Would you keep it down!" Lucy pleaded.

"Not much of a point. They already know we're here. Especially after that ruckus downstairs," Gray explained.

Th group had found a dining hall and were chowing down. Natsu and Gray were stuffing their faces; James and Juvia were a little more reserved.

"I suggest you join them before there's nothing left," Virgo prompted. She was still on this plane from when Lucy had summoned her to fight in the cavern.

"Why would these people just let us in?" Lucy wondered as he gazed around the large dining hall.

"Think they're trying to provoke us?" Gray suggested. Lucy shrugged and slipped into a corner to change into a deep green slip-on dress with matching headband. Virgo bowed and disappeared having finished her job.

"Intruders! Surround them!" Guards came pouring into the room from the north entrance. Natsu and Juvia glared at them, but before they could act, the guards were cut down from behind. The Fairy Tail wizards rejoiced to see that it was Erza.

"You're okay!" Lucy cried happily.

"What are you doing inside the Tower?" Erza asked in disbelief.

"We came to help," James explained. He leaned against the table and gazed coolly at Erza. She was clearly distraught at seeing her friends here.

"Go home! This place is far too dangerous!" Erza snapped.

"You can't scare us into leaving," Natsu growled, making a big show. "I got a score to settle with that blockhead. I'm going to make him pay for shooting me in the mouth."

"You have to go!" pleaded Erza.

"But why?" Lucy cried.

"Your friends kidnapped Happy! I can't leave her without him!" Natsu protested.

"Miliana must have gotten him," Erza mused.

"Where can I find him?" Natsu demanded. Erza shook her head. "I don't know."

Natsu growled and took off running to go find his friend. Erza cried after him but Natsu was already long gone. Lucy started fussing that they had to go after him. Erza shook her head stating it was unnecessary.

"I'll bring them all back. You guys need to leave immediately," Erza ordered.

"We can help you!" Lucy protested shrilly.

"I don't want help!" Erza stated in finality. "This is my problem. It doesn't involve you." He started to leave but Gray protested louder.

"How can you say that? You saw Natsu! I saw we're plenty involved." He turned to James and said, "James tell her we have a right to be here!" James remained silent, observing the situation, a determined look on his face.

"Erza, tell us what is going on," James stated finally, ending the tense silence. "Who is Jellal?"

"We understand if you don't want to tell us. You said those others were your friends, but we're your friends now. We're here to help you," Lucy stated softly.

"We're here for you Erza," James whispered softly, but he seemed to mean something else.

"Leave!" Erza cried. She was trembling and James could see she was having trouble keeping it together.

 _Come on Erza. You can tell me anything_ James thought, his face not betraying the turmoil he felt within. He and Erza had been through a lot, but he had never seen her like this. _Don't make this difficult._

"Come on Erza. This isn't like you," James whispered. "Where's the woman who would have yelled at us and beaten us into coming along to help?" He got up and walked towards her. "Gramps taught us that even the strongest need help every now and then. I know that most of all."

Erza turned around and tears were in her eyes. James and the others were startled by this, because they never saw Erza cry.

"I'm sorry, but you can't help me now," Erza said softly. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "The odds are stacked against me. Win or lose, I'm staring death in the face."

"What do you mean by that?" Gray demanded softly.

"Come on Erza, I'm the only one allowed to talk like that," James stated, clearly not amused.

"There's no point in fighting what's inevitable. I can't. But what I can do is share my story with you." Erza smiled sadly at her friends. James frowned and leaned against the table again, clearly on edge by Erza's out of character actions. The others were just as clearly upset.

Erza slowly started to explain how the Tower Of Heaven was part of a system called the R-system and how a group of black magic practicers began its construction. She described the horrible acts committed by the cult. How they abducted people, old, young; tortured them, made them build the tower, kill them. Erza told them of the few friends she made and of the boy Jellal. She told them of the horrible acts done against her and Jellal. Erza explained to the Fairy Tail wizards of the day she finally snapped and decided to fight. How she lead the revolt and made a stand against the cult soldiers. Erza also explained how much she cared about Jellal; how he was like the leader of her little group. How she admired his sense of justice.

"But something happened to him. It's almost as if he became an entirely different person. There's only one what I would describe his new persona: pure, unadulterated evil," Erza whispered.


	10. Voice of Darkness

Voice of Darkness

"So we took a stand for our freedom. We hope to save our dear friend Jellal." Erza continued to tell her comrades about her horrific childhood. She told them about how they revolted to try and save Jellal from the cult that had built the original R-System. Gray, Lucy, and Juvia listened in silence, but James was trembling slightly in anger as he heard Erza's tale.

Erza explained how her rebellion was struck down by the magic users of the Cult and how she was saved by a long forgotten member of Fairy Tail. Erza told her friends of how the old man gave his life to save her and helped her unlock her magic abilities. Through that newfound power she fought her way to the top of the tower and attempted to save Jellal. But Jellal had changed by the time she arrived. He was darker and speaking of how there was no freedom in this world. Erza was scared of him now. Jellal made Erza leave, forced the others to stay, and forbid her from returning or speaking of the Tower of Heaven upon the penalty of her friends' deaths.

"I have to fight Jellal. I have no choice. I have to do it." A single tear slid down Erza's face. The others watched Erza in disbelief and shock and sadness. James was trembling, his anger mounting.

"I don't know, maybe it's just me, but for some reason the name Zeref sounds familiar,"  
Gray stated.

"I'm sure. He was a legendary black wizard," Erza explained. She wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Wait. I remember someone saying the monster that came out of the Lullaby Flute was one of Zeref's demons," Lucy stated scared.

"I never mentioned it, but I suspect Deliora was a demon from the Book of Zeref as well," Erza added. Gray tensed at that.

"If this wizard is as evil as you then why would Jellal want to resurrect him?" Juvia asked confused.

"I don't understand his motives either. However my old friend Sho said something about Zeref getting them to Heaven and when that happens the world will be reborn and they will become its rulers," Erza explained.

"Okay, there's one thing that confuses me about these people who claim to be old friends of yours." Lucy rested her chin between her thumb and forefinger in thought. "Why are they accusing you of betraying them? Don't they realize Jellal is the bad guy here?"

"It's not their fault. I'm sure he feed them all sorts of lies about me once I left. That doesn't change the fact that I abandoned them so long ago. In the end I guess you could say I did betray them." Erza bowed her head ashamed.

"It's not your fault," James growled. "He threatened to kill them. You left to protect them."

"It doesn't matter." Erza's face became a mask of determination. "If I can defeat Jellal it will all be over. Leave it to me okay."

James stood up and glared at Erza. His fist was still clenched. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off.

"Sister, that's not true."

The Fairy Tail wizards turned to see a dark skinned boy with blond hair wearing a red robe. He had green eyes and a single diamond earring on a beaded chain in his left ear.

"Why are you lying to them?" He was sweating slightly as if stressed or nervous.

"Sho," Erza breathed.

"You think by making yourself the martyr, you're going to get sympathy from your friends?" Sho asked. "Tell them the truth! That's not how it happened and you know it!" Sho was becoming more frantic as he kept talking. "You blew up the boats we were going to use to escape. Then you left on your own. We would have ended up at the bottom of the sea if it hadn't been for Jellal. He saved us. He warned us not to trust wizards like you who haven't learned to use their magic properly.

"He said that you had become drunk with magical power and you didn't want anything to do with your past or the people you left behind." His voice was becoming strained from shouting and emotion.

"Did you ever stop to think he might be lying?" Gray stated coldly.

"If you truly knew Erza then you'd know she'd never do something so horrible," Lucy added.

Sho took a step back, confused. "You only think you know her." Tears were shimmering in his eyes. "You weren't there back then. You don't know anything about us! After you left, Jellal's words were my only salvation. And that's why I've spent all these years working to finish the Tower for him. I did it for his sake. Now you're trying to tell me it was all a lie?" He was trembling; clearly shaken up. The others looked at him sadly; James felt pity for a man who was so easily manipulated.

"You really expect me to believe you're telling the truth and Jellal's been lying to us this whole time?"

"That's right." A dark voice suddenly stated. Sho gasped and the mountain man who attacked James and Gray appeared out of a mist of shadows. James tensed but when Juvia held Gray back, James realized that the man wasn't there to fight.

"I don't understand," Sho whimpered.

"I had to fool you and the others into thinking I had killed Gray and James, but I had hoped that our attack would lure them here," the man explained.

"So you were lying too? How could you do that to me?" The mountain man placed his hand on Sho's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry. Jellal had you under his spell and I couldn't convince you otherwise. So I played along until the time was right."

"So you knew all along," Erza whispered.

"I've always believed in you Erza and there's nothing that could change that. I mean those words from the bottom of my heart." Erza smiled at him softly and they gripped each other's hand.

"Simon," Erza breathed as the mountain man pulled her close and they embraced. James tensed and gritted his teeth at the contact. The others looked on with somber happiness, but James was begrudged to watch Erza embrace her old friend.

"I never knew." Erza and Simon broke apart to see Sho crying and shaking. "I can't believe I blindly followed him all these years. I doubted you cause you left me all alone! You have no idea how much that hurt!" Sho broke down. He collapsed to his knees and started pounding the floor, crying.

"I don't know what to do! I don't even know which one of you I should believe anymore!"

The others watched him with sadness and pity. Erza knelt beside him and whispered, "I know it must be difficult to take all of this in at once, but Sho there is something you should know. Though it's been many years, I have never once forgotten about any of you." Sho launched himself into Erza's arms and cryed louder. "I'm sorry I couldn't stand up to him, but I was so weak back then. Please forgive me."

"Now you're stronger and ready to face him. Isn't that right?" Simon stated somberly. "I've waited all these years for this very moment, when a group of powerful wizards would gather here."

"What's the plan?" James asked. His flexed his fist, for once in his life looking forward to a fight.

"We're going to take down Jellal," Simon stated. "We can do it if we work together. But first we need to keep Salamander and Wally from clashing."


	11. Heaven's Game

**Heaven's Game**

The young wizards ran along a metal gangplank situated on the outer edge of the Tower of Heaven. They were in a hurry to find Natsu and prevent any further fighting between him and Erza's friends.

"Something's blocking my communication with Wally and Miliana. I can't even tell where they are now," Simon complained leading the group.

"What do you mean?" Lucy inquired.

"He can't reach them telepathically," Juvia explained.

"Let's hurry then," James growled.

"You sure we can trust his guy?" Gray whispered. "I mean he wasn't trying to kill us back at the resort, but still."

"I won't make excuses for my actions!" Simon called back.

"Didn't think you could hear me," Gray mumbled.

"Any wizard who is incapable of surviving that would never have had a pray against Jellal," Simon explained further. "I never doubted that Natsu could handle the attack. I was confident he would survive; James as well. But none of you can comprehend the full extent of Natsu's ability. Once he awakens the true power of the dragon within, evil will fall in his wake."

James frowned but ran faster. He knew Natsu was powerful, but Natsu was also impulsive and a bit of an idiot. He needed to be directed and controlled.

The team reached a doorway that lead back into the tower. As the team ran down another corridor they heard a voice emit form an idol in the hall.

"I welcome you to the Tower of Heaven. My name is Jellal and I am the ruler of this tower. I see the players have been arranged."

"So he knows where here," Simon stated.

"Pretty sure he's known we've been here since the start," Lucy stated.

"He could be anywhere in the tower waiting for us." Simon continued as if Lucy hadn't spoken.

"I'm delighted you've come all this way to see me. Shall we play a round of Heaven's Game? The rules are really quite simple. I wish to use Erza as a sacrifice in my ceremony to resurrect Lord Zeref."

"No! I won't let you!" Sho moaned.

"If I succeed, the Gates of Heaven will open crowing my victory. However if you can manage to find a way to stop me, you'll be the winners of the game. To make things a little more interesting, I've enlisted three knights to battle on my behalf."

"Not good," Gray growled.

"The only way you'll be able to get to me is if you can defeat them. In other words a three-on-eight battle royale. And there's one more surprise: the Magic Council has the satellite Magic Square focused directly on this tower and it's highly likely they will attack. At this very moment they are debating whether they should fire an Etherion Blast. There's no telling how much time is left. Should the Etherion strike, complete annihilation is imminent. No players left to win. Game Over."

"What kind of messed up game is this?" Lucy shrieked.

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Erza protested. "Why would the Magic Council resort to such drastic measures?"

"Now then, let the game begin."

Jellal cut out and suddenly Erza disappeared. The wizards turned to see Sho holding her in a playing card.

"What the hell?" Simon gasped.

"I won't let him lay a finger on her! I'll beat Jellal all by myself if I have to!" Sho took off running, a manical look in his eyes.

"No! You can't do it alone!" Simon took off after him.

"You guys keep going," James ordered.

"What do you mean?" Gray asked.

"Keep climbing. Find Natsu and head for Jellal. I'm going to the top, maybe try and end this quickly," James ordered. "Other than Natsu I'm the only one who can potentially end this. Stopping Jellal stops Sho. The kid's lost it."

"How are you going to get to Jellal?" Lucy asked. James smirked and said, "By going straight to the top. Mech Magic form Valkyrie!" James crossed his arms over his chest, fists clenched. Bathed in white light he emerged covered in silver armor, wings made of metallic feathers on his back. A large sword hung on his hip. Spreading his wings, James took off down the hall, bursted back outside, and climbed the side of the tower. He noticed a large column of fire to his right.

Natsu.

James poured on the speed and soon caught up with the fire wizard.

"Natsu!" James roared. "Head straight for the top!" Natsu nodded and together they poured on even more speed, climbing to the top of the tower rapidly. But over the sound of rushing wind James heard a shrieking. He turned and saw a twinkling to Natsu's right.

"Natsu look out!" James roared. Natsu turned confused and stopped. Both Fairy Tail wizards hovered in the air looking fo the new threat. A blazing brown object sped past them and then arced back. James and Natsu moved quickly trying to evade their attacker. But the blur soon caught up with them. James and Natsu felt a sudden and powerful force on their backs and were sent flying back into the Tower of Heaven.

"What in the world was that?" Natsu groaned. They had landed inside of a large chamber filled with large rusty chains and bird cages large enough to house people.

"I don't know, but it's coming back for round two," James explained. He unsheathed his sword and prepared to fight.

"Salamander! James!"

The two turned to see Simon standing in a doorway leading out of the room.

"Who's that?" Natsu asked.

"Old friend of Erza's. He's on our side," James explained.

"But he attacked us at the resort!" Happy protested.

"He's not with Jellal, trust me," James said with finality.

"Who is Jellal anyway?" What's with this ridiculous game he's making us play? "Natsu asked.

"He's got a twisted sense of humor. He's the twin brother of Siegrain, a member of the Magic Council. I assume that's how he knows they plan on firing the Etherion," Simon explained.

"So this is all just a fight between two brothers?" Natsu asked annoyed.

"It's possible. I don't know the specifics of their relationship or whether they are at odds," Simon mused. The sudden return of the shrieking cut off any further conversation.

"HooHooo." A large muscular man with an owl's head and feathers on his forearms landed on one of the nearby chains that extended the length of the room. On his back was a set of large rocket boosters which were the cause of the shrieking.

"I will not tolerate the breaking of rules! Now prepare yourselves to be punished in the name of Justice! I am Fukuro, the Knight of True Justice!" the man exclaimed dramatically.

"The hell?" James asked confused. Natsu was just freaking out. The room was suddenly engulfed in darkness and Natsu freaked out more.

"Calm down you idiot," James growled.

"Let's get out of here. We don't stand a chance against the Owl!" Simon grabbed them but stopped suddenly.

"Even in the darkness the light of Justice shines through!" Simon cried out in pain as a hooting could be heard. The spell creating the darkness dissipated and Simon was down on top of a different cage, clearly injured.

"Be careful! He's an assassin from the Death's Head Order!" Simon called out. "One of the dark guilds, they refuse to take on regular jobs. They make their living by accepting jobs that request using their magic to take lives for money. We are up against Trinity Raven, a group responsible for killing every officer in Western Army during the Cabria War. Their power is legendary."

"So birdbrain here is some kind of super killer?" Happy gulped.

"And if you're evil we'll kill you!" Fukuro hooted.

"They are professional assassins! You cannot defeat them!" Simon barked.

"We'll see about that," James growled. "I am not about to die. Not here! Not now!"

"Salamander, the word back at our guild is that you are responsible for many evil deeds. It's my duty as a Knight of Justice to see that you are punished!" Fukuro stated. Fire erupted in Natsu's hands and rage colored his face.

"Guilds are supposed to bring like-minded people together so they can share their dreams. They are not places for killers like you to team up! I hate it that they are some people out there who will pay someone to commit murder. I hate it that there are some people who will kill for money. And I hate that you're talking like you're in a real guild. So I am just going to have to take you down a notch. Hear me birdbrain? Let's dance!"

"Oh little Salamander, you are still so naïve. I am doing this world a great service by destroying those who commit evil deeds! Thrusters." Fukuro's boosters ignited and powered up to attack. "And since you are an evil-doer, you must be destroyed!" His thrusters reached peak output and shrieked forward. He grabbed Natsu and blasted off into the upper ranges of the chamber.

James growled and took to the air hoping to help his comrade. But Fukuro was too fast. He was almost breaking the sound barrier. Natsu managed to toss Fukuro off but the Owl just kept coming back. Natsu was thrown into a bird cage and struggled to get up.

"Impressive. You're a lot stronger than I expected you to be. This job may prove to be an actual challenge for once," Fukuro gloated.

"Hey, owlman watch your back," James growled. He flew at the birdman, sword held low and aimed to slash through his thrusters. Fukuro looped over James' head and drove his feet into James' back. James grunted in pain and dove to lose Fukuro. Natsu got up and fired more flame attacks at the birdman. Working together Natsu and James attacked the Trinity Raven member, but Simon wasn't afraid of him for no reason. The wizard was fast, his Thruster Magic allowing him to move at damn near the speed of sound. James was hard pressed to keep up with him in his Valkyrie Armor.

"Natsu we got to come up with something quick or we are all doomed," James growled.

"Why's that?" Natsu fired more fireballs at Fukuro who easily dodged them and then slugged Natsu in the face.

"The Magic Council has got the Satellite Magic Square centered right on this Tower! If it fires it will destroy this tower and kill us all!"

"Oh man!"


	12. Armor of the Heart

**Armor of the Heart**

Natsu and James were barely able to hold their own against Fukuro. No matter how hard Natsu hit him, or how swiftly James swung his sword, neither were able to make a lasting impact on the feathered member of Trinity Raven.

"Sorry, to disappoint you," Fukuro gloated after Natsu landed a solid blow to his head. The birdman twisted his head back into an upright position. "Now the Hammer of Justice will fall upon you!" He leaned forward and the boosters on his back surged forward. "Missile!"

Natsu dodged the initial attack but the rocket pack swung around for a second attack. James attempted to knock it from the sky, destroying Fukuro's air advantage but mechanical arms extended from the underside of the rockets. Surprised by this James was unable to block their attack as they knocked him from the sky. James collided into one of the main thick chains lining the room. He clung to it as he watched the rocket pack grab Natsu.

The Dragonslayer wailed as the rocket pack flew around in a tight circle.

"Around the world you go!" Fukuro hooted and gloated. "I know my opponent's weaknesses very well Salamander!"

Natsu was getting sick from the motion and on the verge of blacking out due to the g-forces being generated.

"Weaken your prey before you go in for the kill. That's the first rule of hunting." Fukuro continued. The rocket pack suddenly released Natsu and Fukuro jumped forth.

"Now: Capture!" Fukuro's mouth opened unnaturally wide and he swallowed Natsu whole. Natsu struggled but it was pointless. Fukuro shoved him down his gullet and burped.

"Natsu!" James roared. He dropped from the chain and looped through the air. "Spit him out," James growled leveling his greatsword at Fukuro. Fukuro hooted in glee and unleashed a massive fireball. James split it in two.

"The hell?" James growled.

"I gain the magical abilities of any prey I devour!" Fukuro hooted. He unleashed more fire blasts, all which James cut apart or dodged.

"James!"

James looked to see Gray had arrived as well.

"I told you to go find Erza!" James roared. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for Erza! This place is a maze!" Gray rebuked. "Hey, wait where's Natsu?"

"Birdbrain ate him," James explained.

"What?" Gray gasped.

"Hahaha! Within ten minutes Salamander will be full dissolved inside me. Once that happens, I'll be able to use his power to bring you to Justice!" Fukuro yelled. He started to glow with a slight orange light.

"Don't count on it," James growled. "Gray! Simon! Go find Erza!"

"I'm not leaving you to this guy!" Gray snapped. He jumped down to help fight.

"Then you will fall too!" Fukuro hooted. Gray growled and fired ice lances at Fukuro. The Trinity Raven member unleashed a huge blast of Natsu's Fire Dragon Roar. The blast engulfed Gray. James swooped down and slammed his blade into Fukuro. The attack was cut short and Fukuro went flying. Gray shook off the attack, his body burned and scarred, but unleashed more ice attacks.

"Natsu's fire is way hotter than that," Gray smirked. "But what am I to expect from some poser?" Fukuro snarled and charged Gray.

"I think I'll devour you next!" Fukuro tackled Gray and started to shove him down his throat. James grabbed Gray by his belt and yanked him out of Fukuro's grasp. James swung at the Fukuro but the birdman retreated and sent his rocket pack at James.

"Not this time," James growled. He brought his sword down hard and cut the pack in two, causing the individual pieces to fly off and explode against the chamber walls. Gray charged the birdman and unleashed a volley of savage ice attacks which kept Fukuro off balance and on the defensive.

"It's time we end this." James raised his blade for a final attack. "I've got to go save Erza!" The appearance of Gray and the ferocity at which he was fighting Fukuro, at his determination to save Erza, was reminding James of why he fought.

 **Flashback**

One day James was down by the river playing with the action figures he cherished so much. A couple of kids from the village spotted him and came over.

"Hey if it isn't wimpy little James," one of them sneered. "Playing with your dolls again?"

James ignored him and started to pick up his toys.

"Hey where are you going?" a second kid snapped. "Maybe we want to play too."

"Just leave me alone," James whimpered. He tried to leave but one of the boys tripped him. His toys went flying and a few landed dangerously close to the river.

"Haha!" The kids mocked. One of them picked up one of James' toys, a small green liger bristling with weapons. "Wouldn't it be a shame if it fell in the river?"

"No, don't!" James cried. The boy smirked evilly and held the liger out by its tail, the toy swaying over the river.

"Oops."

The liger seemed to fall in slow motion. But before it hit the water a hand shot out and saved it. James gasped and looked up to see Erza holding it.

"It's not nice to pick on people weaker than you," she growled menacingly. The boys shrieked fear and ran away.

"Here you go. James, right?" James quickly snatched his toy form Erza and carefully inspected it to make sure it was fully intact.

"Yeah, We're in the same guild," James murmured.

"Really? I haven't seen you around Fairy Tail," Erza pondered. Erza had only just joined the guild a few weeks ago.

"I don't like to be around people."

"Why?"

"They're mean."

Erza nodded and sat down on the edge of the river bank. "You can say that again."

James shifted uneasily. Despite her bandaged eye and armor, Erza was kind of cute. James gathered his toys and sat down next to her.

"Why are you always alone?" James asked.

"Same reason as you. I don't want to be around people," Erza whispered. "I don't trust them." James nodded and fiddled with his green liger. For a while they just sat silence. As the sun started to set James heard sniffling. He looked over and stiffened when he saw Erza was crying.

"Why you crying?" James asked. Erza gasped and quickly wiped the tears.

"Sorry forgot you were here. I don't like to have people see me crying," Erza whispered.

"It's okay. You can cry. I won't think less of you." James smiled warmly. "If you ever feel like you need someone, I'll be there."

"Thanks," Erza whispered.

 _I'll become strong_ James thought. _Just like Gramps and Mom and Dad wanted me to. I'll become strong to protect those important to me. To make sure Erza doesn't have to cry anymore._

 **End flashback**

"Gray get out of the way!" James ordered. Gray unleashed a large ice blast and jumped back. "Heaven's Blade!" James unleashed a massive silver energy blast that engulfed Fukuro. The member of Trinity Raven screamed in pain. "Heaven's Blade!" James came in close this time and unleashed the attack right into Fukuro's abdomen. He coughed up Natsu and went crashing into a birdcage.

 _We will find you Erza. I will find you. And I will save you. You don't have to cry anymore_ James thought.

"Someone pick up Natsu. We've got a ceremony to end," James growled.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading guys. Again I just want you to know that i encourage reviews. Let me know how I am doing and if you think I should change something. Or you could give suggestions for future story ideas.**


	13. Destiny

**Destiny**

Gray and James had just defeated Fukuro. Natsu was lying in a pool of drool and barely conscious. James landed next to Gray and deactivated his Valkyrie armor. Gray gasped and dropped his knees, his breathing labored.

"You okay?" James asked.

"We're running out of time. We got to rescue Erza," Gray moaned. He tried to stand up collapsed. James quickly caught him and then laid him down gently. He had fought too hard fighting Fukuro.

 _Damn, the team's wiped out. Using Heaven's Blade twice like that drained me. The Magic Council is going to fire the Etherion Cannon soon and we still haven't saved Erza_ James thought.

"We're not going anywhere soon," James groaned settling down next to Gray. "Ugh. I guess five minutes rest won't kill us."

"We don't have time to waste!" Simon snapped. James glared at him.

"Do you know the way to the top? A very direct way."

"Yes." Simon said a little stunned by James' hostility.

"Then take me there. I am ending this fight." James ordered. Simon nodded and went over to pick up Natsu.

"What are you doing?" James asked.

"Like I said, Salamander is powerful. You will need his help to defeat Jellal," Simon stated. James doubted this but didn't object.

"Happy, get Gray out of here. Find the others," James ordered.

"Aye!" Happy saluted. He wrapped his tail around Gray and then took off with him.

"Ugh."

"Was wondering if you would ever wake up," James stated. Natsu groaned some more and said, "Last thing I remember was flying around in circles." He gulped, nausea overtaking him.

"Seriously? Just the memory makes you sick?" Simon balked.

"You were eaten by the Owl and then Gray and I saved you," James explained.

"Where is he?" Natsu asked.

"Happy is taking him to safety," James explained. "We're going to go and take out Jellal."

"Great. More for Gray to hold over my head," Natsu moaned. "I demand a rematch!"

"No time!" James snapped. Simon set down Natsu and we continued to move. Simon stumbled and moaned in pain.

"You okay?" Natsu asked.

"I'm fine. I just got word from Wally. He and Miliana found your friends. They appear to have taken down another member of Trinity Raven. I'm having them take your friends to safety," Simon explained. "Sho has also informed me that Erza took out the last member of Trinity Raven as well."

 _Good_ James thought. _That means she's still safe._

"That just leaves Jellal," Simon continued. "Erza has gone to find him."

"By herself?" Natsu asked.

"She's got a score to settle. Whether we like it or not she wants to do it on her own. I'm sure you're aware she and Jellal have quite the history. It's as if they're destined to fight each other. I'm worried about her because Jellal's stronger than she knows. I beg you. You have to help her fight him," Simon pleaded.

"Not gonna happen," Natsu stated.

"What?" Simon and James cried.

"What's wrong with you?" Simon grabbed Natsu and slammed him against the wall. "You claim to be Erza's friend but you refuse to help her?"

"This is her fight. She wants to handle it on her own. She'd never forgive me if butted in on the action like that," Natsu explained. James sighed and knew it was true. Erza was too proud of a warrior to ask for help.

"There's no way she could ever win against Jellal," Simon moaned.

"She's stronger than you give her credit for," James stated.

"Watch your mouth!" Natsu snapped at Simon.

"I don't doubt the power of her magic. Despite everything that's happened, I know Erza still wants to save Jellal. I have no doubt in my mind that in her heart, Erza could never truly hate the boy she remembers from her childhood. Jellal is viciously cunning. He knows exactly how to manipulate her feelings to her advantage," Simon explained somberly.

"That's not the only thing working against her. As you know the Magic Council is preparing to fire an Etherion Blast. When that happens, the Tower and anyone inside it will be wiped out. If what Sho told me is correct, we only have ten minutes.

"Erza ordered everyone to leave the Tower and went to face him alone. If you know her as well as you say you do, then you know what she's up to. She's giving up her life and when the blast comes it will take them both down together."

"You should have said that earlier," Natsu growled. Magical energy and rage poured off of his body. James smirked and raised his energy levels to match Natsu's.

"Tell us where to find Erza," James ordered. "We're going after her right now."

Suddenly a huge explosion erupted overhead.

"Guess we found her," James smirked. He and Natsu launched into the air.

 _Stay strong Erza_ James thought. _We're coming._


	14. Give Our Prayers to the Saving Light

**Give Our Prayers to the Sacred Light**

Natsu and James hurried up the exterior of the Tower of Heaven. Dark storm clouds had accumulated overhead and a bright light was starting to stream down through the clouds.

 _Damn, we won't make it in time!_ James thought angrily. _The Magic Satellite Square is about to fire!_

"Natsu we got to go faster!" James snapped. Natsu just grunted and tried to run faster. They needed to reach the tower's peak before the Etherion fired. Suddenly the light became blinding and the Etherion came pouring down.

"Natsu! Inside!" James roared. He tackled Natsu and they crashed through a window. The light of the Etherion encapsulated the Tower.

"Erza!" Natsu screamed.

The light slowly died and Natsu and James were surprised to be alive. Looking around they saw that the entire Tower had been transformed into a massive lacrima crystal.

"What the hell?" James growled.

"What happened?" Natsu asked, his head hurting.

"Doesn't matter. We need to keep moving. We are almost at the top. We need to save Erza," James ordered. Natsu nodded and they took off running again.

"Erza!" Natsu gasped as they reach the top of the Tower of Heaven. She was in only a pair of flared red and yellow flame pattern pants with bandages around her chest. A repeating pattern of red lines were wrapped around her body as she was slowly being absorbed into a large lacrima crystal.

"You grab her. I'm going after Jellal," James ordered.

"Oh great and powerful Zeraf, I call upon you to offer you this woman's flesh!" Jellal was chanting.

Natsu grabbed Erza and pulled her out of the Lacrima. "I got yah."

Jellal turned around just to get punched in the face by a furious James.

"Erza's an important part of our Fairy Tail Family. We won't let you have her," James seethed. Jellal got up and coolly regarded James and Natsu.

"Natsu. James," Erza whispered.

"What you doing hanging around with this loser? If we don't hurry and get back to work, Lucy's not going to be able to pay her rent," Natsu said lightly. "Trust me you don't want to make her angry."

"Sorry but I can't move," Erza breathed. Natsu smirked and proceeded to tickle her.

"This is payback!" Natsu smirked evilly. James frowned and then punched Natsu in the head.

"Now is not the time to mess around!" James snapped. Erza smiled softly before turning serious. "You two need to get out of here as fast as you can."

"Not going to happen," James growled.

"Yeah, we're not leaving." Natsu stated getting serious. "If you can't fight, I'll just have to do it for you."

"You can't. He's too powerful," Erza explained. "Besides you don't know anything about him."

"Who says I need to know the guy to beat him up?" Natsu inquired.

"Please just this once, do as I ask you." Tears were forming in Erza's eyes.

Natsu gently picked Erza up and said, "Honestly, I don't know you all that well either. But I can still take you down!" He punched Erza hard in the gut.

"The hell man?" James asked indignant. "We're here to save her! Not finish Jellal's job for him!" He caught Erza as she collapsed and gently laid her down. She was knocked out.

"You're even more foolhardy than the rumors make you out to be," Jellal stated. "What kind of sick satisfaction do you get from striking a defenseless friend?"

"I had to do it. Cause she was crying," Natsu explained. Fire ignited in his fists. "She looked so weak and fragile. Her voice was trembling with fear. I don't want to see Erza like that. I've always looked up to her as a strong warrior and when she wakes up from this nightmare, I want her to feel like her old self again." Fire ignited all around him and rage twisted his face. "If you want to get to her, you'll have to go through me!"

"Is that a challenge? Considered my interest piqued. I'd love to witness the power of a dragonslayer!" Jellal flexed his fingers beckoning Natsu to attack.

Natsu surged forward, striking with a heavy right hook. But Jellal easily deflected it. Natsu quickly spun on his heel, ducked low and swung his leg high catching Jellal in the face. The blue-haired wizard went flying and Natsu quickly followed it up with a series of lightning quick jabs to Jellal's face.

"Fire Dragon Wing Attack!" Natsu roared, delivering a devastating blow. "Fire Dragon Talon!" Jellal went flying and crashed heavily into a large lacrima crystal. Natsu finished the combo with his Fire Dragon Roar. A massive fireball engulfed Jellal but he just brushed it aside, his black robes burned and tossed aside revealing a skin-tight black sleeveless shirt.

"Is that the best you can do?" Jellal smirked. "I expected more from you, Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel. I was hoping to get a taste of the destructive might of a dragonslayer before ripping you to shreds with my bare hands. But if that's all you got, I won't waste my time."

"I show you!" Natsu charged at him again.

"You must be punished for disrupting my ceremony. Prepared to be destroyed by my Heavily Body Magic: Meteor!" Jellal glowed golden and then took to the air. Natsu looked in shock as his adversary took to the skies. Jellal then slammed into Natsu, mercilessly pummeling the Dragonslayer, moving too fast for Natsu to retaliate.

 _He's too fast. Natsu can't handle him._ James thought. He had placed Erza in a safe location and was prepared to go help Natsu. The only thing currently holding him back was both his and Natsu's pride as warriors. James knew Natsu would not appreciate him interrupting in a fight this important.

Natsu was able to predict some of Jellal's moves, but the servant of Zeref was simply too fast.

"Be glad you got your hits in because it won't happen again!" Jellal unleashed a maelstrom of punches on Natsu, pummeling the dragonslayer to the ground. Jellal continued his assault; Natsu not able to defend himself at all. He cried out in pain as Jellal launched him into the air with a powerful kick.

"And now I'll show you the true destructive power of Heavenly Body Magic!" Jellal took to the air. "May the Seven Stars bring judgment upon you: Seven Star Sword: Grand Chariot!"

"Move Natsu!" James roared. He started to move to save his friend but the impact of the attack caused shockwaves to ripple out that knocked him off his feet. Smoke and dust filled the air. Pieces of lacrima crumbled here and there.

"That spell packs as much of a punch as being hit by a falling meteor," Jellal explained to no one in particular. "Surprised his body's still in one piece after being hit with it. Perhaps that was a little much. The R-System can't afford to suffer any more damage or it will be rendered useless. I can feel the magic energy beginning to leak out. I'll have to hurry. It's time Erza."

He started to walk towards Erza. Suddenly he was punch in the face and forced back.

"Forget about me?" James growled. "You know, you talk way too much Jellal. Not good to think out loud when the enemy is around. This tower can't afford more damage? Well then I am just going to bring it all down."

"This is not your day buddy!"

Jellal turned to see Natsu had pushed himself upright and had begun to smash away at the Tower's crystalline structure.

"What are you doing?" Jellal cried.

"Don't you know? Destroying stuff is what us Fairy Tail Wizards are best at," Natsu smirked.

"You won't get in my way!" Jellal roared.

* * *

 **AN: Sorry it took so long to upload. Busy at college. We are reaching the climax of the Tower of Heaven arc. Next time James will have his moment in the spotlight.**


	15. Titania Falls

**Titania Falls**

"I won't let you get in my way. I've dreamed of this day and I won't let a fool like you spoil it for me!" Jellal roared. He had just pummeled Natsu into a pulp, but the Fairy Tail wizard refused to back down. James knew however that Natsu was finished. His magical energy was low and Jellal was just too strong for the stubborn Dragonslayer.

Jellal released more Heavenly Body Magic and Natsu dodged it as best he could. He jumped into the air to attack Jellal, but Jellal fired another golden blast and it sent Natsu flying. Natsu unleashed a massive fireball that damaged a decent part of the tower. He glared at Jellal smugly.

"Now, I'm angry. I didn't spend years building this tower just to have some punk tear it down. I won't let you," Jellal yelled. Veins were popping in his neck and his eyes were filled with rage.

"Tough break pal, but you can't say I didn't warn yah," Natsu smirked. He was breathing hard. The battle was draining him. "I told yah destroying stuff is one of my specialties."

"I'll make you pay!" Jellal crossed his arms above his head and suddenly the world twisted. A black ball of swirling energy appeared above his head. "And now I will plunge you into infinite darkness dragonslayer!"

"Don't do it!"

James was shocked to see Erza jump in front of Natsu to prevent Jellal's attack.

"Unless you want to kill me too!" Erza stood defiant before Jellal. "You don't want to lose your sacrifice to Zeref do you?"

"That would be a problem. The ceremony requires a wizard comparable in strength to one of the Ten Wizard Saints. However, I can find a suitable replacement. You're not the only one who fits that bill. I'll worry about that after I kill you all!" Jellal reactivated his spell; it distorted space, slowly sucking in everything around it.

"Heavenly Body Magic: Altairis!" Jellal released the spell; a massive black swirling vortex headed right towards Erza and Natsu.

James feet moved of their own accord. He charged towards his friends, determined to not let them die. He had stood idle while Natsu fought Jellal, as respect to the warrior code, but not anymore. Just as he tackled Erza and Natsu, a third party jumped in front of them, using their body as a shield.

The smoke cleared to reveal Simon.

"Why Simon?" Erza breathed.

"To save you," the giant groaned. He collapsed; his body no longer able to continue. Erza ran to him.

"I had no idea you were still crawling around the tower, you despicable pest," Jellal grumbled.

"The hell were you thinking? Why didn't you escape with the others? Talk to me!" Erza screamed over Simon. The man was barely able to breath.

"Please don't cry." Simon smiled weakly. He swallowed before continuing. "It's okay. I'm happy to give my life for you." He coughed heavily.

"Save your strength. Just try to stay with me," Erza pleaded.

"You were the only person who made me smile," Simon breathed.

"Don't die on me!" Erza was nearly at tears again. Erza screamed his name as he went limp in her arms. She screamed in despair as he died. Jellal just laughed manically.

"What a perfectly foolish thing to do! He tried to play the valiant hero but his death won't change a thing!" Jellal gloated. "Simon gave his own life to save yours but he should have known I'm not letting any of you leave this tower alive!"

Suddenly his head snapped back and he went flying.

"Natsu take Erza and go," James growled softly.

"What? I'm not leaving! I'm not done with this guy!" Natsu protested.

"Do as you're told!" James roared. "You're too weak to continue to fight! I will finish this!"

"No I want to fight!" Natsu starts to eat some of the lacrima crystals. A large shockwave of energy emitted from his body before he started to convulse.

"Idiot!" James growled. He grabbed Natsu and held him up. "This tower is powered by all kinds of elemental magic! It'll poison a fire wizard like you!" James dragged Natsu over to Erza. "Take him and leave. I will deal with Jellal."

"How?" Erza asked. "He's too strong."

"I'm sorry Erza. Just please go."

"You don't mean you're going to use that!" Erza gasped. "James it will kill you!"

"If I don't make it…" James started. "No, just go."

Erza nodded and picked up Natsu. He protested but was too weak from the battle with Jellal and foreign magic in his system. James turned back to Jellal.

"You honestly think you can defeat me? You must be a greater fool than-" James slugged Jellal in the face before he could finish.

"You talk too much," James growled. _I'm sorry Erza. I promised I would never use this again, but I have no choice._ "I'm bringing this tower down Jellal and you with it!" James slammed his fist into the ground, falling to his knees.

"Mech Magic form: Götterdamerung!" His voice took on a deep demonic tone as he uttered the word of his armor. A large dark blue magic circle appeared around him, lightning crackled as magic energy built. James slowly grew till he was towering over Jellal, a massive black armored being. Spikes protruded from his armor along his arms, shoulders, and legs. A dark aura surrounded James. In a word, he had turned demonic.

"Twilight of the Gods!" James bellowed in a deep demonic tone. He raised his right fist; his entire arm encased in crackling purple energy and lightning and slammed it into the Tower of Heaven. Energy exploded from the point of impact and sent massive shockwaves throughout the tower. Slowly the tower began to crumble due to the damage and collapse of structural integrity.

"I think we have just enough time to finish this before the Tower fully collapses," James growled. "Verdichten!" He placed his hands in front of his waist, overlapping and his armored form shrunk to normal human height.

"Time to end this." James surged forward and grabbed Jellal by the throat. "You made Erza cry, you hurt my friends and you killed one of your friends! I won't let your crimes go unpunished!" He slammed Jellal into the ground before jumping up and then slamming his fists into Jellal. Both collapsed through the floor to the lower levels.

"You don't scare me!" Jellal snapped. He activated his Meteor and took off. James smirked inside his armor and took off after Jellal.

"You'll never be able to catch me!" Jellal smirked. Then he blanched as James' black form appeared before him and punched him into the nearest wall.

"I won't lose! Not to you!" Jellal protested. "I am destined to form a land of freedom! I know because in my darkest hour I could hear Lord Zeref calling out to me. He told me he could make all my dreams come true if I believe him! There's a reason I am the only human who can sense Zeref's presence: It's I am the chosen one!

"Once he's resurrected, we'll work together to create a land that's truly free!"

"You are still talking?" James roared. He grabbed Jellal again and slammed him back into a crystal wall. James pounded away at Jellal, determined to take the mad wizard down.

"You are insane! Zeref doesn't want freedom, he wants subjugation! He is not a god worth following!" James threw Jellal to the ground and descended next to him.

"I don't care! If that's what it takes so be it! I could care less about what happens to the feeble minded fools." Jellal staggered to his feet. He managed to jump into the air and summoned a magic circle.

 _The Abyss Break?_ James thought. "You mad fool," James whispered.

"Now that you've destroyed the Tower I don't need to worry about using this spell. I can remake a new tower in half the time anyways. Lord Zeref your hour is near!" Jellal cried. James surged forward and Jellal froze for an instant in confusion.

"Twilight of the Gods," James whispered as he fired his final attack. He hit Jellal point blank, launching the possessed wizard into the crumbling tower.

"You can never be free Jellal so long as Zeref controls you. Cast him out," James whispered. _Erza, Natsu, please be safe._ The tower was done. It was in full crumble mode. Jellal was down for the count. James disengaged his armor and collapsed as Götterdamerung took his toll on his body.

"James!" He looked back to see Erza running towards him.

"You idiot, I told you to run." James collapsed. The tower shook and debris was falling everywhere as the magical energy trapped within the tower forced its way free. The tower was self-destructing from the damage done to it by James' attack and the collateral damage.

"We need to move." Erza whispered. She helped James up. Natsu magically appeared on his left and together the three headed down the Tower. James was barely conscious as they descended the tower.

For some reason they stopped. James was aware of himself being set down next to the weakened dragonslayer. Through hooded eyes, James watched as Erza walked over to a bulge of lacrima and placed her hand on it. A determined look was on her face as the crystal slowly engulfed her.

"No, Erza, don't," James whispered. He reached for her and Natsu struggled to his knees.

"What are you doing?" Natsu asked.

"I don't have a choice. There's no other way to stop it," Erza explained in a pained tone.

"Stop what?" Natsu asked confused.

"The utter destruction of this tower," James groaned. "I thought I could stop it if I destroyed the tower before it could build up enough of a charge, but there's simply too much magical energy. It's going to explode and kill everyone in the vicinity." Natsu's eyes went wide.

"If I fuse my body with the magic energy I can prevent that from happening," Erza stated.

"No, there's got to be another way!" Natsu protested. Erza cried out in pain as the crystal enveloped more of her arm. "I promise I'll stop it; there's no need to worry!" She cried out in more pain as the crystal ate her. Natsu scrambled towards her and Erza gently clutched his cheek.

"I have to Natsu," she whispered. James groaned and headed towards them.

"No, Erza, don't," James groaned. _I was supposed to make the sacrifice so you wouldn't have to._

"I can imagine my life without Fairy Tail. If it weren't for you and the others, I probably wouldn't be here today. I hope you know how important you all are to me. I care for you so much," Erza whispered. She smiled softly and let go of Natsu. "That's why I am willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. So if my loved ones will be spared, I'll gladly give my life, so that you may live."

The crystal engulfed her fully and Natsu screamed in protest. The tower continued to explode. The energy reached a peak and then fired skyward. A massive shockwave rocked the tower and the world exploded into a bright blue light.


	16. Home

**Home**

James snarled as he forced his arm into the crystal encasing Erza. The Tower of Heaven was collapsing around them.

"I won't let you do this!" James growled. "I can't go on without you Erza!" He grabbed her arm and ripped her out of the lacrima. Unable to merge with a suitable host the magical energy dispersed in a large blast.

James staggered ashore, Erza held in his arms. Natsu groaned beside them.

"Let's not do that again," Natsu moaned. He collapsed into the wet sand. James fell to his knees, and held Erza close.

"Erza!"

James looked up to see his friends and Erza's old companions rushing towards them. Erza moved in his arms, clutching at his chest. He pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, "If I'm not allowed to sacrifice myself, neither are you. Promise me you won't do something like that again."

"I won't," Erza whispered.

"Promise me!" James snapped.

"I promise." Erza stroked James' cheek as his shoulder shook. "Thank you. This experience has taught me a very important lesson: You don't die for your friends; you live for them, because the future wouldn't be as happy without you in it."

Tears poured down their cheeks as they were barraged by the others as they held their friends.

"Think he'll be okay?" Gray asked as the wizards gathered in one of resort rooms. Natsu and Erza were covered in large bandages from their fights. James stood behind Erza, leaning against the window frame.

"I can't believe he's been sleeping for the past three days," Lucy smirked.

"That's what the idiot gets for eating all that ether magic." James shook his head.

"Say that again and I'll smack you!" Natsu jolted upright.

"Natsu your awake!" Happy squealed. Natsu promptly collapsed back into bed. James rubbed the bridge of his nose and muttered, "Can't believe he woke up just to pick a fight."

"I know I already said this, but I'm sorry for causing such trouble," Erza stated softly.

"Aw, you don't have to keep apologizing to us," Lucy placated. Erza turned to Gray and asked, "Where's your friend? I wanted to thank her."

"Oh, you talking about Juvia?" Gray said. "She left a while ago. Said she wanted to talk to Gramps about signing up with the guild."

"I see."

Later that evening the Erza gathered on the beach with her friends Wally, Miliana and Sho. James watched from the edge of the fencing surrounding the resort. He leaned against it watching them.

"It's not like we meant to hurt yah or nothing," Wally stated, rubbing his neck.

"We're really sorry for everything," Miliana said.

"I should apologize to you. I left you in the Tower for all those years. I hope that you can forgive me," Erza moaned. Her friends looked uncomfortable.

"We've already forgiven you sis," Sho argued.

"But, if I had come back, then Simon might still be alive," Erza rebuked.

"I got to tell ya, he was a good man," Wally blurted. "I just thought you should know that. Cause he always loved you!"

"Shush Wally!" Miliana snapped.

"It's okay. I already knew how he felt. He gave his life to save mine. I'll always be grateful. I know it is hard but we have to try and keep moving forward. That's what Simon would have wanted us to do." Erza smiled softly. "You could join Fairy Tail; give guild life a try."

"Really?" Her friends cried in surprise.

"Of course, but I don't want to put any pressure on you, so I'll let you think it over for a bit."

Wally and Miliana were ecstatic.

"I don't know about you but I'm pretty sold on the idea already," Wally smirked.

"There'd be a new adventure every day!" Miliana fist-pumped the air.

"If we could all stay together, that'd make me very happy," Erza explained. "Let's head back to the hotel. I haven't had the chance to properly introduce you."

"Number three: although our paths must stray, promise to live your lives to the fullest. That means treat every day though it was your last in this world. Never forget your Fairy Tail friends; treasure them for as long as you live. Let the Fariy Tail Farwell, begin now!" Erza lifted her javelin into the sky and the members of Fairy Tail came forth.

"Yes ma'am!"

Natsu spewed fire and James summoned a massive cannon. Both unleashed fireworks that sparkled and dazed onlookers. Gray unleashed ice that sparkled and Lucy sent shooting stars through the air.

"May all your journeys bring you joy!" Erza continued. "I wish we could stay together forever, but deep down I know I'd only hold you back. I don't want that. After all the years you've spent stuck in that Tower, you deserve to finally be free.

"I have more than just painful memories with you. What we went through made us stronger, brought us closer. I will always hold on to those memories; the good and the bad. I wish you the best of luck and happiness in your new lives. This isn't good bye; I know we'll meet again."

"We'll miss you sister!" Sho called back as he directed the boat as he, Wally, and Miliana drifted away.

"Wow," Lucy breathed as Team Natsu returned home.

"Well this is a surprise," Erza stated.

"They finished building it?" the team cried out.

The new guild hall was several stories tall, had a second-story balcony, a bell tower, a new large gathering space and was magnificent to behold.

"There it is: Fairy Tail's new Guild Hall!" Gray exclaimed. As they entered the main gates, Gray added, "Are you kidding me? We got a café now?" Indeed, many members of the guild were out front in an open air café eating and drinking and enjoying themselves.

"Do we really need a gift shop too?" Lucy whined. Over in a corner there was indeed a small shop selling Fairy Tail memorabilia. Lucy flirted with the shopkeeper for a second before getting discouraged.

The Team headed inside and basked in the splendor of the new gathering space inside the main doors. More members were inside chatting and a large stage was centered in back. James walked along the edge of the gathering space before sitting down in his customary corner.

"Well I'm glad you dunderheads made it back safely," Gramps growled as he approached Team Natsu. Levi was giving them a tour. James overheard something about the second floor and S-Class missions.

"I'd like you to meet Fairy Tail's newest member, Juvia," Gramps stated. She was in a white and blue dress and matching hat with white stockings and gloves that covered her arms. "Isn't she a cutie?" Gramps smirked.

"I can't wait to work with you." Juvia curtsied.

"So you actually made it in," Gray smiled and laughed light-heartedly.

"Thank you so much for helping us in Akane," Erza stated.

"No, I should be thanking you because now I've found a new Guild." Juvia was lively for the first time since James had met her. He got up and headed over to Mirajane, who was working at the bar.

"Hey, how's my room?" James asked quietly.

"As you left it," Mirajane stated in her usual chipper tones. "Your subscriptions to _Mechanics Monthly_ and _Wizarding Tech_ came in and a new book on magical mechanic theory came. I left them in your room for your viewing."

"Thanks." James gave her some money and went over to the team.

"We've also added another new member to the Guild. Someone you might recognize," Gramps added. The team glanced over and froze.

"What him?" Gray gasped. "Are you kidding me?"

Lucy was shaking in fear, prompting James to place a steady hand on her shoulder. He followed their gaze and saw a man with several studs lining his face with thick black hair. He wore a sleeveless vest with metal studs and a grim expression. He glared at the others with red snake-like eyes.

"Gajeel!" Natsu snarled.

"Why'd you let him in here, Gramps!" Gray asked. He and Natsu were ready for battle.

Juvia interjected herself, saying, "Calm down! I asked him to come along with me!"

"I don't mind Juvia, but he's the one responsible for destroying our Guild Hall," Erza snarled. James placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a stern look. Erza gave him a confused look as James started forward.

"Now, now, remember what I taught you: yesterday's enemy can be today's friend, right?" Gramps stated. Gajeel looked up as James approached. James calmly held out his hand.

"Excuse me?" Gajeel growled.

"I might not appreciate that you destroyed my room when you attacked the hall, but I enjoyed the challenge of repairing my models," James explained. "I also abhor violence, so if I can set an example for my team, maybe we can avoid any more fighting."

"Whatever." Gajeel quickly shook James' hand.

"Strong grip. I hear you're also a user of metal-styled magic. It would be interesting to see you in action one day," James added. He returned to his stunned friends.

"No way! I can't work with somebody I can't trust!" Natsu yelled. James grabbed him and held him back to prevent a fight.

"You behave little dragon," James growled deadly quiet in Natsu' ear. The dragonsalyer paled and continued to glare at Gajeel.

"I don't understand the fuss. It's not like I want to be your buddy," Gajeel stated coldly. "Only reason I'm here is to get work. I hate this guild and everyone in it, but times are tough and I had no choice but to join."

"I know you kids don't like it, but as the master of this guild, it's my duty to help those who have gone astray find the right path," Gramps explained. "Give him a shot, you might find he's a nice guy."

"While I may not agree with you, I'll respect you decision," Erza stated both to Gramps and James. "But I'll warn you, I'm going to be keeping a very close eye on him."

Natsu and Gajeel continued to glare at each other as James took a seat again. After a moment's hesitation Erza joined him. Soon the lights darkened and a single light illuminated the stage in back.

"I'd like to dedicate this song to Fairy Tail's strongest team and congratulate them on their safe return," Mirajane said as she strummed her guitar. The crowd cheered as her soft, sweet voice filled the air. James glanced over at Erza and caught her staring at him. Erza blushed and quickly looked away. James smirked and closed his eyes and listened to Mirajane's sweet voice.

Mirajane quietly left the stage when she finished and to many people's surprise Gajeel took the stage. He was wearing an all-white suit with matching fedora and black sunglasses.

"Wrote a tune I call 'Best Friend'," Gajeel explained. "Would you like to hear it? Well hear it good." The crowd booed him and threw food on stage. James' face clouded over but Gajeel continued unperturbed. He sang a slow jazz tune and was actually pretty good. James smirked and leaned his head back.

Natsu said something and then all that could be heard was him and Gajeel fighting. James sighed and got up to leave. He knew what was about to happen.

Sure enough, by the time James reached the second floor landing, the ground floor gathering space had descended into madness as the members of Fairy Tail fought. James turned and saw Lucy beside him. She sighed and he smirked.

"Nothing's changed," he whispered.

"You got that right," Lucy whimpered.

James awoke to a soft knocking on his door. He struggled to get out of bed and opened the door. There, illuminated by the full moon, was Erza.

"Erza?" James asked confused.

She bit her lower lip as she seemed to be fighting with some kind of inner conflict.

"Um, I- I wanted to thank you for what you did back at the Tower of Heaven," Erza whispered.

"Erza, you don't have to thank me again. I was helping a friend, someone I care about. I'd do it again in a heartbeat," James explained confused.

"I know. It's just…" Erza looked up at James. He was leaning against the door frame in just a pair of loose dark jeans. The moon illuminated him from behind, casting his face into deep shadows. His strong arms were crossed over his chest; the sapphire signet ring he always wore visible on his right ring finger.

"You were willing to sacrifice yourself for me," Erza whispered.

"And you for the rest of us." James stood up. "Erza what is going on? You're being strange."

Erza bit her lip before leaping forward. James was taken by surprise as Erza's soft lips pressed against his. Her hands pressed against his bare chest and he awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, her armor pressing weirdly into his skin. Erza broke the kiss and whispered, "Thank you for fighting for me." She tore off down the hall, leaving James standing there confused with the sensation of her lips on his.


	17. Battle of Fairy Tail

**Battle of Fairy Tail**

"Food…" Natsu moaned. "Must eat everything in sight."

"Chow time yeah!" Happy squealed.

It was the day of the Magnolia Harvest Festival. The town was covered in decorations and vendors were all over selling their goods, foods, and merchandise. Gray, Lucy, Juvia, and James were observing.

"Natsu still haven't recovered huh?" Lucy asked concerned.

"He does see rather ill doesn't he." Juvia commented.

"He'll be fine once he eats, trust me," Gray stated.

"You haven't changed a bit Gray," a voice stated behind the four Fairy Tail members. They turned to see a man with a long face, dark hair and brown clothes.

"Hey Warren. It's been awhile," Gray exclaimed.

"Didn't think I'd make it back in time for the festival, but here I am," Warren stated.

"This guy takes on so many jobs we hardly ever see him," James explained. He leaned against a nearby crate and shifted uneasily. His eyes darted about watching the passing people.

"Hello, I'm a new recruit. My name is Juvia," Juvia said.

"Ah, so you're the one I've been hearing about," Warren said.

"Meet Warren Rocko. He's a master of Telepathy Magic," Gray explained.

"It's nice to meet yah," Warren stated politely.

"The pleasure is all mine," Juvia smiled. "This festival is quite a sight."

"No kidding what a crowd!" Lucy said.

"Don't remind me," James grumbled.

"It's a pretty big deal. People come from all around to see the Fantasia Parade," Warren explained.

"I can't wait to see it myself," Lucy squealed.

"You're in the parade, remember?" Gray stated.

"Isn't there something else I was supposed to be in?" Lucy stated placing a finger on her chin. She went ramrod stiff. "I forgot all about the Miss Fairy Tail contest!" She squealed. "My rent money!" Lucy took off running for the Guild Hall.

"A contest?" Juvia fumed. "I refuse to be outdone by that bimbo."

"So I guess you'll be entering too," Gray grumbled.

"The long wait is finally over ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer declared. "Welcome to the one and only Miss Fairy Tail contest where your fairies fight in a battle of beauty. I, Max Alors, will be your host for this exciting event!"

The crowd cheered loudly. The commons area of Fairy Tail's Guild hall was packed full of people. Gray, Natsu, James, Alfman, and Happy were sitting at a table in the midst of this raucous. Natsu was eating some freshly baked bread to settle his stomach.

"I expected to see Alfman here but why you?" Gray asked Natsu.

"Cause he's a man!" Alfman stated. Natsu just nibbled on his bread.

"Now let's meet Entry Number One, the exciting beauty who will drink you under the table any day of the week: Cana Alberona!" Max moved aside as Cana came out. She was in her standard blue bikini top and orange capris.

"Now bust out some magic and show us your stuff!" Max shouted into the mic. Cana held up her deck of playing card and they started to swirl around her.

"She's sent her deck spinning!" Max commentated. "What could she be doing behind all those cards?" There was a bright flash. "She changed into a swimsuit!"

Cana was now sporting an orange and green striped two-piece bikini and was giving the crowd a sultry stare. She flipped her hair behind her shoulder, gave a little twirl and then sauntered off the stage.

"On to Entry Number Two! She may be new to the guild, but her magic is S-Class, her beauty radiant in rain or shine: Juvia Lockser!" Max moved aside again as Juvia came out.

"Hey, Gray, this is when you get to ogle," James smirked. Gray glared at him, but kept his attention on the stage. Juvia unleashed a wave of water across the stage as she changed into a white poka-dotted blue bikini.

"Enjoying the view?" James smirked.

"Would you can it!" Gray snapped. "I didn't take you for the perverted type!"

"I'm not," James said leaning back. "I just get a bit of pleasure out of this."

Max was announcing Entry Number Three. "Fairy Tail's famous centerfold, her beauty has stolen the hearts of men and women all over the land: Mirajane!" The crowd erupted as she took stage.

"My specialty is Transformation Magic so I'll show you a new side of me," Mirajane stated sweetly. She crossed her arms over her head and in a puff of smoke, Mirajane's face turned into Happy's. She then changed it into Gajeel's.

James chuckled softly as Alfman's jaw hit the floor. "Your sister is funny," James smirked.

"Entry Number Four, the Fairy Queen who needs no introduction: Erza Scarlet!"

Erza flipped onto the stage and James quickly came to attention. Since the late night kiss she had given him several weeks ago, things between James and Erza had been tense. James wanted to fix that today.

"Let me show you a Requip you don't get to see every day," Erza smiled smugly.

"Please do," James breathed.

With a yell and puff of pink smoke, Erza Requiped into a lovely French maid outfit with long black stockings, black outer dress and white blouse underneath. Her hair was put into a ponytail with a large black ribbon.

James may have drooled a little.

"Now who's the one ogling!" Gray sneered. James glared and regained his composure.

Levi came out and showed off her Solid Script Magic; Bisca came out in a purple bikini and showed off her shooting skills before Lucy came out. She was in a blue cheerleader outfit. But before she could even get started a deep feminine voice rang out.

"Entry Number Eight! I am the very definition of fairy, not to mention the very definition of beauty, and the only woman here who embodies everything men desire, therefore the winner is me, The Lovely Evergreen!" She came out in her long green dress and her burgundy fan covering her chin. "Now this idiotic contest can end!"

James stiffened and clenched his fist. If Evergreen was here, the rest of the Thunder Legion wasn't far and neither was their leader. This could mean trouble.

"Wow, she's back?" Gray asked.

"Then Laxus must be here too," Alfman stated.

"Can't you go mess up a different contest?" Lucy snapped at Evergreen. "Give me a break here! I really need that prize money!"

"Lucy get away from her!" James roared.

"I'm sorry, what was your name?" Evergreen lifted her spectacle and her eyes glow a pale yellow. Lucy gave a small gasp before turning to stone.

"Crap," James grumbled. He gripped his hair and watched the stage in horror.

"Everyone get out of here now!" Max ordered. There was a loud roar as people ran screaming from the Guild Hall.

"What do you think you're doing Evergreen?" Master Makarov asked. "You'll ruin the festival for everyone!"

She laughed softly. "On the contrary, I think things are just getting interesting." The stage curtain raised behind her to reveal all the other girls had been turned to stone as well.

"Erza, no," James breathed.

"No Mira!" Alfman cried.

"Don't be a fool! Return them to normal this instant!" Makarov ordered. A bolt of lightning suddenly stuck the stage and Laxus appeared.

"Well, looks like all your fans decided to head home," Laxus gloated. "Pity because the party's about to start."

"Laxus," James growled.

"I should have known," Master Makarov sighed.

"Freed. Bickslow too," Gray stated. James looked up and saw the two hiding in the shadows on the second floor.

"Come on, let's have some fun!" Laxus shouted. He had a slight maniacal look in his eyes.

"I've had enough of your nonsense. Turn them or else!" Makarov ordered.

"You'd better play nice if you want these ladies to join the parade." Laxus summoned a bolt of lightning directly over Lucy

"No stop!" Makarov yelled. The bolt hit within mere inches of Lucy.

"Laxus stop this right now or God so help me," James growled.

"Or what?" Laxus taunted. "We all know you don't fight James so shut it." He wrapped his arm around Lucy. "In other words, I'm taking these lovely ladies hostage. Break the rules and I'll shatter these chicks one by one. Or I could smash them all right now."

"I'm not amused Laxus. Stop fooling around!" Makarov snapped.

"I'm serious old man," Laxus smirked. Freed jumped down from his perch and landed beside Laxus and Evergreen.

"I've always wondered who was the strongest of the Guild. Now it's time to find out," Freed stated.

Bickslow landed beside the others and added, "Yeah, let's have some fun!"

"There's only one rule: whoever's left standing in the end is the winner!" Laxus declared. "It's a Fairy Tail Battle Royale!"

"Nice and simple, that's just how I like it!" Natsu smirked as he punched a nearby table.

 _Only Natsu would find fun in a hostage situation_ James thought.

"Glad you could see it my way. If nothing else you've got the right attitude," Laxus stated.

"Natsu," Makarov warned.

"This is a festival right? Let's party!" Natsu smirked. He started towards the stage.

"Did you forget the thorough thrashing he gave you the last time you fought?" James asked annoyed.

"I was just a kid back then," Natsu explained.

"It was last year!" James snapped.

"Yeah, but since then I've become a man!" Natsu jumped at Laxus.

"On the other hand, I think that attitude of yours is going to get you into a world of hurt. Why don't you sit back down!" Laxus unleashed a lightning bolt and fried Natsu.

"Idiot!" James snapped burying his face in his hands.

"Naturally, if you want me to turn the girls back to normal, you're going to have to defeat us first," Evergreen explained.

"But those odds aren't bad; there's four of us and like a hundred of you guys," Bickslow added with a laugh.

"You have three hours and not a second more." Evergreen held up three fingers to accentuate her point. "After that these pretty statues of yours will be reduced to dust."

"All of Magnolia will serve as the battlefield. The fight will begin if and when you can find us," Laxus added.

"Laxus how could you?" Makarov asked in outrage. "I won't stand for this!" Makarov grew to gargantuan size.

"Simmer down old man!" Laxus yelled. "It's all part of the festival, right? It'll be fun! Let the Battle of Fairy Tail begin!" There was a bright flash and Laxus and his Thunder Legion were gone.

"He disappeared," Gray muttered.

"So it's high stakes hid and go seek," Mako stated.

"Let's go!" Alfman roared. "We got to man up and save out girls!" He lead the charge out of the building.

"You insolent brat!" Makarov tore after his Guild members. "Just wait, I'll stop you with my own two hands!" However when he reached the door an invisible barrier prevented him from leaving.

"What's wrong?" Gray asked turning back.

"An invisible wall," Makarov explained.

"Don't be silly, Gramps, there's nothing here!" Gray grabbed Makarov and tried to pull him out but found he couldn't. "Man what's the deal?"

"Freed enchanted the door," James stated, pointing above the two. "It says 'Stone Statues and anyone over the age of eighty years shall not pass.' He really didn't want us moving the girls or allowing Gramps to fight."

"Whoever rights the rules wins the fight huh?" Gray said.

"That's one way to look at it," James sighed.

"Enchantments like these take time to write as such they would be useless in a one on one battle, still you can see they can be quite effective if set up as traps," Makarov explained.

"You're really stuck? You can't break through?" Gray asked.

"The rules of the enchantment are absolute," James stated somberly.

"Guess that settles it; we'll have to go into this fight without yah Gramps. I won't show mercy even if Laxus is your grandson. He's going to pay for this. Come on James let's go," Gray snapped.

"No."

"What do you mean no?" Gray barked.

"You heard Laxus, this is a Battle Royale. That means fighting and lots of it. I will not partake in such barbarianism," James stated. "I will not sacrifice my morals for the entertainment of one man."

"Think about Lucy and Erza!" Gray snapped. "They're your friends! Your teammates!"

"I will not get caught up in this Gray!" James roared. "So go! Find Laxus and end this."

"Fine." Gray took off running.

"I hope you know what you are doing," Master Makarov stated.

"So do I."

Both walked back to the main stage. Makarov sent Reedus off to see Porlyusica about a potion. Also Natsu awakened rather noisily.

"Where'd Laxus go?" Natsu asked. "Actually where'd everyone go?"

"Left." James sat down on the edge of the stage facing Erza. "They went to go fight in Laxus' Fairy Tail Battle Royale."

"Why aren't you fighting?" Natsu asked.

"Because I hate fighting. I refuse to harm my fellow guild members for the sake of Laxus' entertainment."

"Natsu, listen up!" Makarov snapped. "The festival is underway and Laxus is hiding somewhere in Magnolia. Find him and beat him!"

"Alright!" Natsu ran for the door. "Just you wait Laxus- Ah!" Natsu hit the invisible barrier and was stopped cold. James sighed and shook his head.

"What the heck?" Natsu asked confused as angry red runes filled the doorway.

"Why can't you get through?" Makarov asked astounded. "Obviously you're not a stone statue! Don't tell me you're over eighty!"

"I don't think so!" Natsu moaned.

New script appeared above the doorway and a new battle was underway in Magnolia. The report soon changed to report the battle was abruptly over.

"Fools," James growled. "This will rip the Guild apart." He looked up at Erza's statue and whispered, "Erza, what should I do?"


	18. Defeat Your Friends to Save Your Friends

**Defeat Your Friends to Save Your Friends**

Fighting continued throughout Magnolia. The citizens were in distress over the commotion and general destruction. Fairy Tail Members were settling grudges and fighting any who got in their way. Back at the Guild Hall, Natsu, Master Makarov, and James were waiting. Happy ran a commentary on the battles as they continued to appear in runes in the main door way.

Finally James got up irritated at all the fighting. Natsu was trying to force his way out the door. James grabbed him and tossed him back.

"Hey what's the big idea?" Natsu snapped.

"You're stuck in here so quit your whining," James growled. "It's becoming irritating."

"Why aren't you out there fighting?" Natsu asked.

"You know my stance. I abhor violence," James stated.

"James, you can defeat Laxus," Master Makarov stated. "You're also the only here you can currently leave the Guild. Will you please put an end to this foolishness?"

"You and I both know that is a bad idea," James stated.

"Why's that?" Natsu asked. James gave him an annoyed looked. He sighed and said, "Think about it Natsu. I use metal-type magic. Laxus uses Lightning. He would fry me to a crisp. Plus I tend to lose control of my magic when I get angry and though I may not look it, right now I am downright pissed."

"Your friends are in danger!" Natsu roared. "Fairy Tail wizards fight for their friends no matter the cost! That's what it means to be a Fairy Tail wizard to begin with!"

"What if fighting for them only ends up brings about more harm?" James suggested. "Then what?"

"James please," Makarov pleaded. "This needs to end. We can't let Laxus win." James sighed and said, "Fine. I'll go and find Laxus and bring this to a swift end."

He cracked his neck and walked out the door. James passed through without any problem and Natsu whined more as he tried to force his way out.

"Mech Magic form Valkyrie," James whispered. He became incased in his silver armor and spread his wings. James took to the air and frowned as he saw the carnage being wrought by his fellow guild members. As much as James wanted to help his friends and end the fighting, he realized that the only way to truly end this was to take down Laxus.

"Where are you hiding?" James whispered. He flew higher and looked around the village. Then James sight fell upon the cathedral at the highest and most centrally located spot in town.

"Knowing that arrogant brat, that's most likely where he's hiding," James whispered. He flew as quickly as possible towards the cathedral. He landed quietly on the edge of the cathedral and entered. There he was sitting at the edge of the altar. He held a smug grin on his face as he viewed James.

"So the metal man decides to join the fray?" Laxus sneered.

"No, I am here to talk," James stated as he leaned against a nearby pillar. "Why are you doing this Laxus?"

"Because I am tired of having the name of Fairy Tail run through the mud due to everyone's incompetence," Laxus growled. "We are supposed to be one of the most feared guilds in the land, not the laughing stock of Fiore!"

"The people should not have to fear us. We are wizards who help people. We can't help them if they are afraid of us." James sighed and said, "What happened to that smiling kid who loved the guild and admired it?"

"He went away with my father," Laxus growled. "I've always been known as Makarov's grandson. I am so sick of it."

"If you're trying to step out of his shadow by taking over the guild, you are going about it a very wrong way. No one will want to work in a guild held together by fear and force," James stated. "End this now Laxus. Return the girls to normal, call of the fighting, and maybe we can go back to the way things were before."

"We will still be weak!" Laxus snapped. "That's all this guild is! A bunch of weaklings clinging to each other for support!"

"It's because of the support of our friends that we become strong," James contradicted.

"Not you," Laxus smirked. "Back in the day, you were one of our strongest wizards. That was a man I would have like to fight. Not the weak coward afraid of his own shadow that you've become."

"Stick it," James growled. Standing up straight he glared at Laxus. "If you will not see reason then I guess I have no choice but to fight you. You will learn why they called me Maschine. Mech Magic form Kleine Jaeger!" James became incased in his blue armor and flexed his hands. "Mech Magic form Blades of Schneider!" The twin blades of his Schneider armor appeared in his hands. He twirled them with a flourish and lowered himself into a fighting stance.

"Let's end this right now," James growled.

"Nothing would please me more. It will help pass the time," Laxus smirked. He unleashed a Lightning bolt. James captured the bolt in the blade in his left hand, tensed in pain as it coursed through him, and then redirected it out the blade in his right hand. Laxus' eyes went wide at the maneuver but he batted the blast aside, sending it into a nearby pillar.

"I see you figured out a way to combat my magic," Laxus grinned. "That makes this all the more challenging. I was wondering why they had sent you to defeat me but now I see why." He unleashed another large blast of lightning before transforming his entire body into electricity and speeding around the room.

James barely deflected the second blast into the ground before Laxus descended upon him. Laxus through a heavy right hook catching James in the face. The Mech-user grunted as the left side of his face plate became indented and he was forced back. Laxus kept up the assault firing more punches and kicks into James before unleashing a huge blast of lightning. James fell to his knees panting. His armor was dented all over and scorched, his swords burned and dropped. Laxus looked down on him with distain.

"Pathetic." Laxus slowly approached. "You used to be one of our most powerful S-Class wizards until that little incident you refuse to talk about. Personally I think you are just making it up as an excuse for your weakness. Once I am in charge there won't be any room for weaklings like you."

"Why is it that everyone I fight likes to talk so much?" James grumbled. "Fist of the War Monger!" He surged forward, surprising Laxus. The lightning wizard's eyes went wide as James drove his magically enchanced punch deep into Laxus' stomach. James followed the move up with a swift kick to the head. Laxus went flying and crashed into a nearby pillar.

"Now, let's try this again," James growled, summoning his blades back to his hands.


	19. Thunder Palace

**AN: This one contains two episodes, Thunder Palace and a slight clip from Advent of Satan. Both were too short to stand alone. Sorry I haven't updated recently. Been really busy. I will try to finish up this arc as soon as possible. Bear with me. Thanks and Review!**

 **Thunder Palace**

James leaped back as Laxus fired several bolts at him. Surging forward, James slashed the air sending blasts of magical energy at Laxus. He batted them aside and sped around the room in a surge of lightning. James deflected the attack forcing Laxus back. Suddenly rune script similar to that seen at the Guild Hall appeared above the large pipe organ in the back of the cathedral.

"Erza defeats Evergreen," James read. _Erza's no longer petrified?_

"You failed me!" Laxus snarled. "I put my faith in you Evergreen and this is how you return the favor? You lose to Erza!"

"Erza's stronger than you think," James smirked. He pointed his sword at Laxus. "Give up Laxus. You no longer have your hostages. You have no leverage."

Laxus roared and backed away. "You are a fool. Excuse me while I contact the old man." Laxus raised a hand to his ear and spoke slowly, "Can you hear me old man? The rest of you had better listen up too. Looks like one of the rules has gone out the window. That's fine, I'll just add a new one. In other words, I'd hate to end the Battle of Fairy Tail earlier, so I've decided to activate the Thunder Palace. You have one hour and ten minutes. If you think you can win you'd better get moving. Unless you're ready to hand the Guild over to me now, Master." He started laughing.

"Thunder Palace?" James growled. Laxus smirked and snapped his fingers. James saw a flash outside and saw hundreds of yellow lacrima floating around the city.

"Now the whole city is my hostage!" Laxus laughed.

"You-," James breathed. He snarled and glared at Laxus. "There are words for people like you." Laxus smirked. "If anyone tries to break them, they'll get struck thanks to my Body Link Magic."

"I'm ending this now." James surged forward, becoming a blue blur. Laxus' eyes went wide. James came in low. "Fist of the War Monger," he breathed. Laxus growled as James sent him flying.

"You think you can stop me?" Laxus snarled. "You are a weak fool! This won't be over until the bitter end! Not until I am leader of this Guild!"

"You are mad with power," James sighed. Laxus descended in a rage, lightning surrounding him. James tried to dodge but got caught by the blast radius. James collided with a nearby pillar and groaned. Laxus grabbed him by the throat and held him in the air.

"You are pathetic. You honestly thought you could defeat me? You are just as weak as the rest of the Guild. When this is over I will be in charge and there won't be any room for weaklings for like you!" Laxus snarled.

"Gramps will never give the guild over to a power-hungry jerk like you," James growled. He gasped in pain as Laxus pounded him in the stomach. James lost his concentration and his armor disappeared.

"Damn," James groaned.

Laxus sneered, "Weak, just like I said." He tossed James like a ragdoll and then kicked him across the floor.

"Now you're just another piece of broken machinery," Laxus smirked. Above him there was the rune: Laxus defeats James

 _Damn it_ James thought. _Hurry up Erza. I don't think I can do this alone anymore. Not without using Götterdamerung. I really don't want to use that here in town._

 **Advent of Satan**

"Lucy beats Bickslow," Laxus snarled. "Idiot."

James groaned and leaned against the nearest pillar. "You may think us all a bunch of weaklings Laxus, but we are strong. We are strong because we have something to fight for: friends, family, loved ones, our pride and honor as a Guild, for each other." He coughed before continuing. "I'd say you've lost that vision. You're too focused on power and where we stand amongst the other guilds. That's not what Fairy Tail is about."

"Shut up!" Laxus kicked James and then went to sit at the edge of the altar. "I've wasted too much energy on you. I need to rest before I take the lead from the old man."

 _Erza, Natsu_ , _I'm sorry. I lost. It's up to you now._ James closed his eyes and groaned. Even he couldn't beat Laxus.

"Freed verses Mirajane; both wizards forfeit." Laxus growled. "You are all such disappointments."

James chuckled and said, "Looks like your Thunder Legion is no more." Laxus glared at James before striking him with another bolt of lightning.

"Keep talking Maschine, I know you're just a glutton for punishment."


	20. Clash at Kardia Cathedral

**Clash at Kardia Cathedral**

James groaned in pain as Laxus sat at the base of the altar. Laxus' head was hung low as if deep in thought.

 _Come on Erza, Natsu, freaking Mystogan, somebody! We've only got a few minutes left! We need to stop this madman!_ James thought.

"I knew this day would come," Laxus whispered. "You can't say I didn't warn you old man. Only six minutes until the Thunder Palace is activated. I guess that stubborn old geezer is going to hold on until the very end. Typical."

The doors creaked open and James pushed himself upright against a pillar. His eyes went wide as he saw the clocked figure enter.

"Hey Mystogan. You actually showed up," Laxus laughed. "I'm surprised you're here. I didn't think this game held any interest to you."

"If you bring the Thunder Palace down right now, we may be able to convince the citizens it was part of the festival," Mystogan explained.

"Is that really why you came back? Give me a break. You're looking for a piece of the action; you want to know who the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail is. Is it you or me?" Laxus stated.

"Don't be so quick to rule out Erza," Mystogan stated.

"You kidding me? Sure the girl's got spunk but she's still weak."

"Huh, you think she's weak? You're either blind or more ignorant than I thought."

"Nothing against her but we can both agree we're both stronger. It's clear one of us is Fairy Tail's top wizard. The question is which one of us is it?"

"If you see the world in such simple terms, perhaps you are blind."

"I'm sick of talking about this! Let's settle this here and now, Mystogan! Or should I say-" Mystogan cut Laxus offby firing a magical blast from one of his many staffs. Laxus grinned and met the attack with a blast of lightning. The ensuing explosion destroyed all the glass windows and sent James flying into the wall. He groaned and shielded his eyes as he tried to watch the two titans of Fairy Tail duke it out.

 _Beat him Mystogan. He has to be stopped._ James thought.

"Tell me: how do you know about that?" Mystogan asked.

"Oh, did I strike a nerve? It's a rare treat to see you lose your cool like that. I got a deal for yah: beat me and I swear I'll tell you everything I know," Laxus smirked.

"You're going to regret that statement Laxus," Mystogan said. "You're about to witness magic the likes of which you have never seen before." Mystogan looked over his shoulder at James. "Maschine, I suggest you vacate the area."

"I would if I could move, but Laxus gave me a pretty sound thrashing," James smirked painfully. "I'll try to stay out of the way though." Mystogan grunted and turned to Laxus.

"Oh I'm so scared! Go on and show me what you got you freak! I'm dying to see just how much stronger I am!"

Mystogan simply embedded his multiple staffs into the ground and said, "Skyscraper." A purple Magic Circle enveloped him and the room. Laxus started screaming in fear and confusion.

"What you do to him?" James asked.

"What kind of Magic is this?" Laxus screamed gripping his head. He unleashed a torrent of lightning magic and broke free of Mystogan's magic. "Now that's funny!" Laxus laughed a maniacal grin on his face. He brushed aside the last visages of Mystogan's illusion and said, "Did you honestly think you could beat me with some kind of stupid illusion?"

"Impressive, but it seems you're still a little bit slow on the uptake." Another large magic circle enveloped Laxus with several circles layered above him.

"Five layer Magic Circle: Sacred Song!" Mystogan enchanted. Laxus had a smug grin though. "You think I'm the slow one huh?" Mystogan looked down and gasped as he saw the lightning magic circle below him. Both spells detonated, resulting in massive explosions. However both wizards emerged relatively unscathed.

Mystogan tried to trap Laxus in another Magic Circle but Laxus escaped in a stream of lightning. He charged Mystogan and electrocuted the cloaked wizard. Both descended to the ground and Laxus grinned, "Now that's more like it."

 _Damn these guys are insane! How was I ever one of them?_ James thought as he watched.

"So here you are!" two voices rang out next to him at the entrance. James looked up to see Natsu and Erza standing in the grand entryway to Kardia Cathedral.

"Took you long enough," James smirked. Erza quickly came over to him and held him.

"James are you okay?" she asked softly.

"Just happy to see you're not a stone statue anymore," James grinned. "I tried to defeat Laxus but I failed. Sorry Erza."

"Mystogan," Erza whispered as she turned towards the other two S-Class Wizards. A look of surprise was visible in his eyes.

"You're wide open!" Laxus gloated. He unleashed a powerful lightning blast that destroyed Mystogan's facial wrap. The three younger wizards all gasped as they saw a shockingly familiar face.

"Jellal," Erza breathed. James quickly grabbed her hand to prevent her from doing anything stupid. "But how? You're still alive?"

"No, I personally finished him," James murmured. "This can't be him."

"Oh so you know this guy," Laxus sneered.

"Wait, I don't get it. So Mystogan is really Jellal?" Natsu asked.

"Erza please forgive me. I was afraid you'd see this," Mystogan said sadly. Tears poured down her cheeks as James clutched her tightly. "I'm not your friend Jellal. I do know of him but I'm not him." Erza was truly devastated by this news.

"I'm sorry. I must be going." Mystogan/Jellal disappeared into a haze of smoke.

"Hey wait up!" Natsu called after him. "Well that made my brain hurt." Natsu sighed and then cried, "Alright man, it's you against me! I'm going to take care of this clown. That okay with you, Erza?"

Erza was shaking too badly to respond, too shaken up by seeing Mystogan's face.

"Erza, pull it together," James whispered. "We can figure this out later when the city is not in danger." Still no response. "Forgive me," James whispered. He then backhanded Erza and that snapped her out of it.

"Sorry," she whispered. She glared at Laxus and started to get up but Laxus struck both wizards with a powerful lightning blast. Both screamed out in pain.

"Get a room why don't yah," Laxus glared.

"That's enough!" Natsu screamed. "I told you you're mine you jerk. Let's go."

"Hey, didn't even notice you," Laxus sneered. That took some air out of Natsu's sails.

"Oh you're about to notice me pal." Natsu's fist became engulfed in flames and he charged Laxus. He removed his coat and headphones just before dodging Natsu's attack. Natsu kept trying to hit Laxus, but the older wizard kept dodging the flames with easy.

"Didn't anybody ever tell you? You got to think before you act kid! Now get lost you runt!" Lightning filled the air as Laxus retaliated. Natsu managed to dodge it all as he came in close.

"Fire Dragon Talon!" Natsu and Laxus traded blows at close-quarters, distorting the air.

"Natsu be careful!" Erza cried. She and James slowly helped each other to their feet.

"I'll be okay. You don't have to worry about me," Natsu reassured her. Laxus came at him with an annoyed look on his face. He kicked Natsu hard in the face before pounding Natsu with lightning enhanced punches. The two quickly started to exchange blows of magically enhanced punches, neither willing to give ground. Natsu tried to kick out Laxus' legs but the lightning wizard jumped into the air before kicking Natsu into the ground, cracking the tiles. Laxus tossed Natsu aside.

"We need to get Natsu. He's not going to win at this rate," Erza whispered.

"Honestly I don't think any of us can defeat him one on one. I'd love to help but Laxus already gave me a sound thrashing and I still haven't recovered enough to fight," James stated.

"Just hold on to Natsu while I take on Laxus," Erza ordered. James nodded and they bum-rushed the Dragonslayer as he tried to get up. Both wizards tackled him to the ground. James restrained him while Erza requipped into her Black Wing Armor. She charged Laxus and he easily deflected her attacks with lightning shields.

"Let go!" Natsu snapped at James.

"Promise not to get involved?" James asked. Natsu nodded, so James released.

"What did you put in the sky, Laxus? Tell me!" Erza snapped.

"That would be my Thunder Palace," Laxus smirked.

"You are absolutely despicable. To think you'd attack your home town," Erza growled.

Laxus laughed, "Honestly it breaks my heart, but that's just the way the game is played doll face."

"Damn you!" Erza kicked at Laxus but he easily blocked it with one hand.

"Only two minutes to go," Laxus smirked.

"Go!" Erza commanded James and Natsu. "Destroy those things!"

"We can't!" Natsu cried. "If we do, we'll just get zapped!"

"Seriously, you're using Body Link Magic to protect them?" Erza asked incredulous.

"Yeah, and they're going to stay up there until I give the order to blow!" Laxus laughed.

"You coward!" Erza then screamed as Laxus zapped her with more lightning.

"It's a shame you won't be around to see it!" Laxus tossed Erza back. She cartwheeled away and requipped into her Lightning Emperess Armor.

"Nice try, but that won't protect you against my attack!" Laxus unleashed a surge of lightning but Erza blocked it.

"Now that we're using the same magic, it's a fair fight!"

The two wizards exchanged blast upon blast of lightning, Laxus trying to overpower Erza. However because her heart was in it, Laxus couldn't gain an upper hand. Erza explained how that was the difference between their power; it wasn't just their strength, experience, or knowledge of the magic, but whether their heart was in it or not.

"Erza come on let me fight him!" Natsu whined. James slugged him in the head.

"What was that for?"

"You said you'd let her fight," James growled. But Erza just smiled softly, grabbed James and took off.

"Hey where you going?" Natsu asked. "Wait you're not going to try and take down the lacrima are you?"

"I'd like to see you try," Laxus laughed. "Even just one of those things can be deadly. Who knows how many are floating over town. Beside you're out of time!"

"Then we'll just destroy them all at once," James stated.

"You must have a major death wish then," Laxus grinned.

"Not really," James smirked. He and Erza took off.

"You have our faith Natsu!" Erza cried over her shoulder.

"Don't die!" Natsu cried after them.

* * *

 **AN: Hey guys, I'm starting a Bleach fanfic soon so if you like Bleach you should read it and tell me what you think. I'll be finishing up the Battle of Fairy Tail Arc soon and then I need to go on a little hiatus to develop the next session of chapters. We will see what the future holds for James and the others of Fairy Tail. Thanks and Review.**


	21. Triple Dragons

**Triple Dragons**

James and Erza reached a large opened street and Erza activated her Heaven's Wheel armor and started to summon as many swords as she possibly could. Her breathing became ragged and short as she tried to bring to bear enough to destroy all the lacrima bombs. James placed his hand on her shoulder and whispered, "Hey, Erza, don't push yourself so hard. We can do this together."

Erza smiled at him and James stepped back. "Mech Magic form Panzer!" He drew his right fist back to his ear while extending his left fist. He became engulfed in green light; the light died revealing a heavy armor of a deep green color. Heavy ammo boxes sat on his hips, calves, and biceps. Two massive cannons were situated on his shoulders and James held two more high-caliber rifles in his hands. His body was encased in thick, blocky armor with white missiles situated along his chest, and a square-open faced helmet encased his head, an orange visor protecting his face.

"Let's do this," James smirked. Erza smiled and nodded. She kept summoning swords, slowly working her way up to two-hundred swords. The strain of summoning that many weapons was taking a toll on her.

"I told you not to push it," James scolded her. "I can easily take two-hundred and fifty lacrima bombs on my own. But it's going to probably drain me for a week." Erza couldn't help but giggle.

"Leave it to you to make me laugh in a life or death situation," Erza smirked.

"Yeah and I'm usually the stoic one," James grinned. "Being around you makes me chatty." James dropped down into a crouch and two heavy braces slammed into the ground behind his legs. "Primzahl," James growled. The barrels on his cannons and rifles started to glow a bright green as Magic Circles appeared at their ends. The ammo boxes on his limbs opened revealing dozens of white-tipped missiles.

"You know this is going to hurt like hell, right?" James stated.

"I am aware," Erza stated calmly. "You're not scared are you?"

"A masochist like me? Not at all," James grinned.

"Hey Fairy Tailers can you hear me?" A voice called out.

"That's Warren," Erza breathed.

"Things don't look so good for us; check out what's floating in the sky," Warren continued. "We're going to have to pull together so get off your butts and lend us a hand. If any of you are still fighting just give it a rest for a second.

"Now listen carefully, those larcima are part of a spell called the Thunder Palace. Laxus is using it to threaten the entire town so we have to take it out before he can set it off. We don't have much time so we have to work together."

"If the rest of Fairy Tail helps, we should be able to take out all the lacrima bombs," James stated.

However soon the guild was back to their fighting and bickering over the telepathy link. James sighed and was about to yell at them for their lack of decorum but Gray beat him to the punch.

"Would you idiots stop yelling at each other!" Gray snapped. "We don't have time to be goofing off! We got to take down those lacrimi!" Soon the guild was back to bickering and fighting.

"Shut up!"

"Lucy," James breathed.

"We shouldn't be wasting our time arguing. The citizens of Magnolia are in danger and we're the only ones who can help them so we're going to have to work together," Lucy stated. "Look I know things have been rough with all of us fighting against each other but we can do anything if we pull together. That's what you guys have taught me. I know that I'm still fairly new to Fairy Tail but I promise you I love being a part of this guild just as much as the rest of you. I always dreamed of joining Fairy Tail someday; it's what I wanted more than anything in this world. Now that I joined, it means everything to me, if you feel the same as me, let's work together and save our town!"

"That's my girl," James smirked.

"If none of you are up to the challenge, I'll do this alone. I'll destroy those things myself!" Lucy cried.

"What's it going to be guys? You going to let a newbie show you up like that?" Cana teased. Other senior members voiced their approval and the guild gave a resounding roar.

"James and I will take the three-hundred to the north. Everyone else can take the rest! We can do this!" Erza cried.

"One-hundred fifty for you, one-hundred fifty for me," James smirked. "Bechuss!" His cannons bellowed with an ungodly roar unleashing a torrent of energy blasts and missiles headed for the nearest lacrima bombs.

"Go forth my swords!" Erza cried. Her multiple swords pierced the sky. Soon the entire sky light up with the destruction of the couple hundred lacrima bombs. Yellow glitter floated down and the citizens cheered as they believed it to be part of the festival.

"We saved the town," Erza smiled as she returned to her normal attire. James removed his own armor and rolled his shoulders. Using Panzer like that always made his shoulders stiff.

"You do realize this is going to hurt like hell in a few seconds," James reminded her. Erza's eyes went wide and then they both screamed out in pain as their bodies were struck down by a massive surge of lightning.

"Is everybody okay?"Erza asked over the telepathic link. "I can't believe you. How could you do something so reckless?"

"We should probably be asking you the same thing," Gray whispered back. Erza laughed and replied, "We really do make a great guild don't we?"

"You people are insane," James grinned. He reached over and gripped Erza's hand. "You and I need to talk," he whispered to her.

"I know, but I don't really think now is the time," Erza replied with a sad smile. "Tonight, before the Fantasia parade."

"Fine."

James gasped however when a bright light filled the air.

"No, that idiot, he wouldn't dare," James breathed. "That's Fairy Law."


	22. Fantasia

**Fantasia**

The light of Fairy Law slowly died and James was very surprised to still be alive.

"How?" James asked staggering to his feet.

"Maybe Laxus still sees the Guild as his friends and comrades deep down," Erza explained.

"That's one theory," James murmured. He helped Erza to his feet and supported her. They looked back towards the Cathedral to see red and yellow blurs flying around the roof and spires.

"They're really going at it," Erza breathed.

"Damn it Laxus, stop this," James growled. A massive yellow explosion lit the roof promptly followed by another blast. Then a massive burst of red magic engulfed the roof and James thought he could see someone go flying.

"Damn, I think Natsu just won," James breathed.

"I always knew he could," Erza whispered as Natsu unleashed an anguished, primal roar.

"Thanks to Porlyusica's help, the Master will pull through just fine and be back to work in no time," Erza explained to the gather Fairy Tailers. They greeted the news with a resounding roar of approval.

"Now any additional stress on his heart could affect his health. So let's be on our best behavior, okay?" Erza stated.

"Aye sir!" the Guild replied.

James drained his drink and walked over to her. "You still own me a talk," James growled.

"I know, I know, but things have been hectic with the Master taking ill. I promise we will talk tonight before the parade," Erza reassured him. James hmphed and went to hide in his usual corner. However the joyful atmosphere in the room suddenly died. James looked up and saw Laxus standing in the doorway.

"Where's the old man?" Laxus asked. He was bandaged up pretty badly same as Natsu and Gajeel. The other guild members descended upon him in droves, yelling at him and crying for blood.

"Quiet!" James roared. He stood up and walked right up to Laxus. James regarded Laxus with a cold stare. "He's in the infirmary."

"Are you nuts?" someone snapped. James just glared at them while Laxus walked past to go see Master Makarov. Laxus didn't get far before Natsu jumped in front of him.

"Natsu," Laxus stated wearily. James turned around and walked over and placed a hand on Natsu.

"Try anything and I will break you," James growled so only Natsu could hear. James was sick of the fighting and would stop any more from happening no matter what. Natsu started screaming at Laxus, but no one could understand what he was saying due to the bandages around his mouth.

"Gajeel, interpret," James ordered softly.

"You ain't the boss of me," Gajeel snapped before adding, "He said next time it won't be two against one; it will just be you and me face to face and I swear I ain't going to lose to you again. Or something."

"I thought you guys beat him," Lucy said.

"You kidding me, it was more like a draw," Gajeel stated. "Look what he did to us. If had been around during the Phantom Battle, I'd be six feet under right now."

Laxus walked past Natsu and James and gave a wave over his shoulder to say good-bye to the Guild.

"Show's over guys. Let's get ready for the Fantasia Parade!" Erza ordered.

* * *

"You wanted to talk?" Erza asked James. They were on the second floor landing while the others were outside getting ready for the parade.

"What are Erza?" James asked leaning on the railing facing the commons.

"What do you mean?" Erza asked confused.

"The night we got back from Akane Resort you kissed me and then took off running. You've been avoiding me and barely talking to me since. What is going on?" James asked frustrated.

"I'm confused. I like you James I really do, but I've been trying to figure out my feelings for Jellal as well. His reappearance at the Tower of Heaven shook me up pretty bad and then again with Mystogan looking like Jellal… I'm just so confused," Erza stated.

James sighed and hung his head. "If you ever figure out which of us you love more come find me. There's never been anyone else for me Erza. It's always been you."

"James!" Erza cried after him as he headed up to the third floor and his room. She finally caught him just as he opened his door.

"James I do know my feelings, I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out. Jellal is in the past and most likely dead now. But you're here now. You've been a constant in my life for years now. Someone I can depend on," Erza whispered.

"Tell me you want me, that you need me. Say it. We promised each other we would stay alive for each other. Promise it to me again," James breathed.

"I need you James. I need your strength," Erza whispered.

"Let's be each other's strength. Lord knows I'm not as strong as everyone thinks I am," James smirked. "Kiss me Erza Scarlet." She smirked and leaned up to kiss James. He pulled her close and returned it.

"I am yours my Queen," James breathed. Erza smirked and nestled her head against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I am so hard to be around. I'll try to express myself better," Erza explained.

"It's okay. We both suck at expressing ourselves. But I wouldn't change that for anything" James stated. Erza smiled and kissed his cheek. They broke apart abruptly though when they heard someone coming up the stairs.

"There you are!" Natsu cried as he approached. His facial bandages had been removed so he could perform tonight. "You guys going to come help get ready for tonight?"

"I'm not participating," James stated.

"What?" Erza and Natsu both cried.

"When have I ever participated?" James asked perplexed.

"Yeah, but I thought you'd do it this year because you're part of the team now," Natsu said sadly.

"Nope," James said.

"But why not?" Natsu whined.

"One: I hate crowds; Two: my magic is not to be used for 'fun'; and Three: personal reasons," James stated. "No amount of whining or persuading will get me to be in the Fantasia parade."

"Not even if I wear that French Maid outfit?" Erza whispered in James' ear. "I know you were staring at me up on the stage."

"No, not even that," James playfully smirked at her. "But that might get you elsewhere." Erza blushed and Natsu just watched blankly.

"Why don't you guys go get ready," James suggested. "I'll see you at the parade. Right now I need a nap."

* * *

Fireworks filled the air as the Fantasia Parade was underway. Floats of all kinds traveled down the main street as magic symbols filled the air and wizards put their best on display. The crowds roared in approval and kids were squealing with delight. James smirked as Erza's float came down the street; she was wearing a beautiful red and gold armor, her forearms covered by golden gauntlets and her biceps and head surrounded by white wings. She had swords moving in a circle around her. She requipped into a lovely red bikini and twirled around.

Gramps came out as well and acted like a goof.

 _Crazy old fool_ James thought. Then Master Makarov along with the entirety of Fairy Tail thrusted their hand into the air, their thumb and forefinger extended. A last farewell to Laxus.

 _Good bye old friend_ James thought.

* * *

 **AN: Alright that's the end of Season One of Fairy Tail. Unfortunately I will be going on Hiatus for a while to work on the next stage of the story. Also I will be off the grid for the month of January so No Updates! Sorry folks. See you all again in February.**


	23. Allied Forces, Assemble

**AN: I have returned from Hiatus. Finally! It took longer than I had wanted. I'm transcribing these from the anime so it doesn't help when your provider crashes and glitches out as you try to do this. Also I had to find a good spot to start off again. In addition I am not sure how much farther into the Fairy Tail Story I am going to propagate this. But I will find a suitable spot, not just leave you all hanging high and dry. Also I have an Original Arc revolving around James that I want to write before I finish up this story.**

 **Sorry for the long pre-chapter rant. On with the story!**

* * *

 **Allied Forces, Assemble!**

James sighed as tried to take a couple of young ladies. Unfortunately they were too busy hitting on him. The gang had been asked to help waiter guests at a new restaurant to help Lucy with her rent. James had offered repeatedly to help Lucy with her rent as she had been struggling lately to find decent jobs but the girl adamantly refused handouts.

"Ladies please. I'd just like to know what you'd like to eat, not your phone numbers," James sighed. "Please, I'm taken." The girls whined but then ordered their food. James smacked Erza upside the head as he passed her as she tried to seduce her customers into buying half the restaurant.

"Behave," James ordered. Erza glared at him but did as asked.

* * *

"Top notch job today kids," Yajima congratulated Team Natsu at the end of the day. "I got to say I am pleasantly surprised by all your hard work. You're welcome here anytime."

"Thank you. We've learned much from this experience," Erza smiled.

"Now I know how Mira must feel after work," Gray moaned.

"And how stuffed her belly must be," Natsu groaned patting his bloated abdomen.

"She serves her food instead of eating it all!" Lucy chided him.

"Her lose," Natsu moaned.

"Your weight gain," Lucy snipped.

"If I am ask: what's the status of the Magic Council these days?" James asked redirecting the conversation.

"Well, I stepped down some time ago," Yajima sighed. Natsu and Gray stiffened at that.

"What you forget he was a member?" Lucy asked.

"After Jellal and that other interloper threw everything into disarray, I parted ways with the organization," Yajima explained. "Now, I'm not usually one for gossip, but there have been rumors going around lately of plans to reestablish the Magic Council are in the works. Our ignorance and misguided actions caused you all a great deal of trouble. I am truly sorry."

"It's okay," Erza replied softly. "They say you stood your ground in opposition of firing the Etherion until the very end. Your conviction is admirable."

"Politics just isn't my thing," Yajima sighed. He had materialized a simmering saucepan full of vegetables, meats, and spices and was busy sautéing the dish. "But cooking was what I was born to do!" He laughed joyously and smirked. He jumped down and got serious.

"By the way, you boys listen very carefully," he said to Natsu and Gray. "Now I expect this new council to be quite different. I will no longer be there. I took a lax attitude towards Fairy Tail's high-jinxes. Do you understand?! Don't test their patience with your careless destruction!"

Natsu and Gray practically quivered in fear as they viciously shook their heads in affirmation.

* * *

James sighed as he cleaned one of the blades to his Schneider armor. Things had been interesting since The Battle of Fairy Tail. Lucy had been proving herself dealing with several small missions but was still struggling to pay rent. James and Erza were still testing the waters of their new relationship. Erza had been slightly obsessed with Jellal after seeing his face reflected in Mystogan. James had decided that Erza may never truly get over Jellal so he would just have to help her cope as best he could.

Right now most of his friends were over with Cana, Mirajane, and Reedus discussing the Dark Guilds. Currently three major Dark Guilds controlled the rest of the smaller Dark Guilds. These three guilds, Oracion Seis, Tartoros, and Grimoire Heart, formed the Balam Alliance. They controlled all the smaller Dark Guilds dishing out orders and dirty work. Unfortunately despite the top Dark Guilds being small in size, they were incredibly powerful.

Apparently the guilds had been more active and this was causing some concern. James was just hoping things didn't escalate into full-blown war. That would result in Fairy Tail being sent out as frontline warriors given its status as one of the top guilds in the kingdom right now.

"Speaking of the Oracion Seis," a grim voice called out. James' head snapped up and he saw Master Makarov standing at the front of the Guild Hal. "Word has come down; We must destroy them."

"What?" The assembled Fairy Tailers gasped. James growled and returned his sword to the pocket dimension he held it in. He joined the others as Gramps informed them.

"Welcome back Master. I hope you had a good time at the conference," Mirajane said cheerily dispelling the sense of doom and gloom.

"Master what do you mean by that?" Erza demanded.

"Oracion Seis' recent activity was the topic of much discussion at the conference. They pose an urgent threat that can no longer be ignored. Therefore they must be dealt with immediately. We will take them down before they bring harm to any of our fellow guilds we are sworn to protect," Gramps explained.

"And we got to do all the heavy lifting, right?" Gray assumed. "Typical."

"This enemy is far more powerful than any other we have faced before. To fight them alone would be too dangerous. Our attack would surly incur the wrath of the entire Balam Alliance in no time. Which I why Fairy Tail will join a coalition of magical guilds," Master Makarov explained. "Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, and Cait Shelter; these four guilds will select members to represent them in the allied force. Together we will work together to bring down the enemy."

James had one guess as to who Fairy Tail would send. With a sigh he went to pack his bags.

"But we can handle it ourselves, Gramps," Natsu said, overestimating his skills in James' mind. "In fact, I could probably even do it alone!"

 _Someone needs a lesson in humility_ James mused.

"Don't be a fool!" Erza smacked him. "Master is wise to consider the long-term consequences."

* * *

"I know I've said this before but I've got a really bad feeling about this mission," Lucy whined as the gang headed towards the meeting place of the Allied Forces coalition. "And why am I here? I'm not all that strong! It's not like I'm going to be able to help you guys anyway!"

"It's going to be hard for all of us. But Master clearly has faith in your abilities as do the rest of us. So keep your head up and just do your best without getting killed," James stated.

"We're here for one reason: Because Master put his faith in us so let's not disappoint him," Erza reiterated. She was glaring at Natsu when she said it though. He was sick again despite James even giving him some motion sickness pills for the trip.

"I know, but Gajeel and Juvia are better fighters. Why aren't they here?" Lucy asked.

"Master has them busy with another mission," Happy explained.

"It just seems like we're always picked for this stuff," Lucy whined.

"You should consider it an honor," Erza stated.

"Or a cruel and twisted destiny to always be in the thick of it," James muttered under his breath.

"And today will be our first day operating with the other allied guilds," Erza continued unperturbed. "It's important we all focus our efforts in building a positive relationship."

"We're here!" Happy called from atop the carriage. James up and saw a nice looking manor ahead. It was pink and covered in hearts which immediately set him on edge. Inside was a large open area that ended in a grand staircase and was flanked by Pegasus statues.

"Great another creepy old mansion," Lucy whined.

"It's the second home of the Blue Pegasus' Master, Bob," Erza explained.

"Oh, him," Grey sighed. James felt chills as well thinking about the man. Not pretty. "He makes me feel funny," Gray whispered.

"Be nice," Erza chided. "Master Bob may be a little eccentric, but he does deserve our upmost respect."

"A little eccentric doesn't begin to cover it sweetie," James stated as he looked around.

"They're here at last!" A voice called out. It was echoed by two others.

"Hey, hey, hello, hello, Fairy, Fairy, Tail, Tail, Wizards!" The voices continued. They sounded like a damn boy band. Again James felt on edge. A spotlight suddenly illuminated three men. They were dressed in designer clothes, had their hair styled, and were handsome to behold.

"We're glad you came," they echoed again.

"We are the," one started.

"Blue Pegasus," another continued.

"Elite crew," the third added.

"The Trimens," they finished together.

"Hundred Nights Hibiki," the tall blonde introduced himself.

"Holy Night Eve," the shorter blonde stated.

"Still Night Ren," the tall dark haired and skinned final member announced.

"The Trimens form Blue Pegasus?" Lucy whispered. Then she went all fangirl. "Wow, that is so cool. Those guys are like the hottest wizards around now. Hibiki is always near the top of _Wizarding Weekly's_ eligible bachelors list. He's been in the top three for the few months."

Natsu and Gray started to have identity crises. James just glared at the pretty boys actualy wondering if they were going to be of any help during the upcoming fights.

"I've hear tales of beauty and they're true," Hibiki smirked at Erza.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Titania," Eve bowed.

"Please come with me," Ren stated gently placing his hand on Erza's shoulder from behind. Suddenly the Trimen had surrounded the Queen of the Fairies.

"Get your hands off," James growled, stepping between Erza and the Blue Pegasus wizards.

"And you are?" Hibiki asked annoyed.

"Her knight and champion," James growled. He summoned his sword and pointed it at Hibiki. "Stay away from Erza." Erza blushed at James' actions but did not stop him. The Trimen bristled but backed off, instead redirecting their efforts towards Lucy. The poor girl quickly became uncomfortable with all the attention and hide behind James as well.

"It's not fair to horde all the ladies to yourself," Even whined.

"Then maybe you should act like real gentlemen and not subtly force yourselves onto women hoping your charm and good looks will overpower their senses," James countered.

"James relax," Erza said putting her hand in his. He growled but lowered his sword.

"Sorry about that. We look forward to working with our future allies despite the rough start," Erza said diplomatically.

"No problem," Eve stated with a smirk.

"Calm down men," a deep, yet soft timbre voice called from the stairs. "Give the ladies some breathing room." James felt Erza stiffen next to him and immediately he tensed as well. He had learned long ago that if something made Erza uncomfortable or nervous, he had damn well better be on guard.

"Yes, Ichiya, sir," Ren stated.

"Oh dear," Erza moaned.

"It's been far too long, Ms. Scarlet," Ichiya stated.

"A long time, yes," Erza stated, her voice shaky. "I never expected to see you here."

"Oh, how I've missed you my sweet honey," Ichiya stated smoothly. He was short with heavily styled brown hair. His cheekbones were highly pronounced as well as his large nose. He wore a white tuxedo with a blue rose. Everything about him set James on edge, especially how he referred to Erza as "my sweet honey."

"But don't cry, I am here," Ichiya continued. Erza hid behind James more, and in response James held his sword higher.

"My good man, why do you point that archaic weapon at me?" Ichiya inquired.

"You're making milady uneasy," James stated. Ichiya hmphed and then slide down the banister.

"Fine then. Let us get to work," Ichiya stated annoyed. "The ladies can stay; the rest of you can leave."

"Excuse me?" Gray snapped. "We are here to help with an important mission. I don't know who you pretty boys think you are! Can you even fight?"

"Wanna find out?" Ren sneered.

"Yeah, we're real tough," Eve baited.

James noticed Ichiya had managed to sneak close during the slight commotion and was sniffing Erza.

"Get away from her, you pervert!" James roared. Erza shrieked and slugged Ichiya across the room. He went sailing towards the main entrance. Unfortunately someone was occupying that space. He frozen Ichiya's head and dropped him to the floor.

"You dare to great us with this flying buffoon?" the man growled. "Lamia Scale deserves more respect. We insist on it." Gray and the newcomer both shared looks of shock as they recognized each other. The newcomer kicked Ichiya across the room causing him to impact at the feet of the Trimen.

"What is wrong with you?" Gray snapped.

"Someone care to fill me in?" James whispered.

"He's Leon. He and Gray shared a master. We fought him when Natsu and Co went on that unsanctioned S-Class mission," Erza explained. James nodded now caught up.

"He was the one who attacked me, Gray," Leon rebuked.

"Watch it; that's our leader you're messing with pal," Ren snarled.

"You and your men should just turn around and go home," Hibiki ordered.

"Does that mean women can stay and fight?" a soft voice called out. Suddenly the carpet came to life. "Marinette attack: Carpet Doll!"

"That one's Sherry," Lucy stated as a slender woman with long red hair in a pink dress appeared next to Leon.

"I was hoping you hadn't forgotten me," Sherry giggled. "But please try to forget who I was. I have been born anew by the power of love!"

"Still crazy," Lucy sighed.

Ichiya tried to make another move and this time Erza materialized a halberd as James kicked him across the room.

"Stay away from milady!" James snapped. Pretty soon the entire room devolved into old opponents lining up to fight anew.

"Enough!" A masculine voice cried out. "We're here to work together as a group to destroy the Oracion Seis! This is not the time for us to fight amongst ourselves!"

"Yes, Jura," Leon said with a coy smile.

"That's Jura?" Erza whispered. James glanced over and saw a tall, bald, muscular man wearing Egyptian styled clothing and wielding a staff.

"Hm, a Wizard Saint graces us on his presence," James stated almost reverently.

"It seems we have representatives from three guilds. The members from Cait Shelter have yet to arrive," Jura observed.

"Yes, about that guild," Ichiya said. "I hear they're only sending one."

"Just one member?" Erza inquired.

"That's insane!" Gray cried in disbelief. "We're supposed to up against a powerful group here!"

"One?" Lucy whimpered. "If that's true, how crazy intense is this guy going to be?"

James turned as he heard soft pitter-patter of feet just in time to see a young blue-haired girl trip and fall flat on her face. She slowly got up and dusted herself off before introducing herself.

"Hi, I, ah, I'm sorry I got here so late. I came from the Cait Shelter Guild. My name's Wendy," she said with a slight raspy but sweet voice. "It's nice to meet all of you."

"She's a kid?" Lucy cried in disbelief.

"A little girl?" Leon asked in quiet disbelief.

 _Great, babysitting duty_ James thought.


	24. Enter Oracion Seis

**Enter the Oración Seis**

James returned his sword to storage and regarded the young girl in their mist. He could tell that she was powerful, but he doubted she had much experience. While James had no misconceptions as to who could or couldn't be a warrior, he still felt that the battlefield was no place for a child. The others regarded her with varying degrees of reactions before Jura brought everyone's attention back to the matter at hand.

"Now then, since all guilds are present we can begin," Jura stated.

"You're not even fazed by this?" Gray exclaimed.

The others voiced their concerns, some questioning the intelligence of the Cait Shelter guild leaders for sending Wendy.

"She isn't alone. You shouldn't jump to conclusions, garden Trollip," a voice called out with a high-class accent. James rubbed his eyes to make sure he was actually seeing another talking cat. He had gotten used to Happy, but this was weird. She was a white cat in a yellow and pink dress with bows around her neck and tail. She held herself with a regal demeanor made more evident by her way of speaking.

"Erza, I wasn't drinking this morning was I?" James whispered. She just shook her head.

"What is this?" Gray asked confused at the whole turn of events.

"A cat," Leon stated.

"Oh, Carla, you followed me here," Wendy asked.

"Of course I did!" Carla scolded gently. "You're far too young to be travelling unaccompanied, child."

"Sorry," Wendy apologized, toeing the ground. "I'm probably not what expected. I know I'm much smaller and younger than most of you and I may not be much of a fighter but I can use all sorts of support magic. So please… Let me join the group!" She started crying. "I'd be so embarrassed if you sent me home.

James' eye twitched lightly in exasperation at the little girl's display as the other also looked on in confusion and disbelief.

"You'll never earn their respect if you can't show confidence child," Carla scolded again.

"Sorry, Carla," Wendy apologized, her fists covering her face.

"I swear, you'll drive me to catnip," Carla sighed.

"I can't help it!" Wendy cried.

"Forgive me," Erza said trying to be diplomatic. "I was caught off guard; rest assured no offense was meant. We're glad to have you aboard Wendy."

"Oh, wow, you're Erza, right?" Wendy blushed. "I can't believe it's really you!"

James came forward and crouched in front of the little blue-haired girl as well. "I'm James. If you need anything or anybody's giving you trouble just let me know." Wendy blushed even more and looked away. .James smirked and messed up her hair. Then Hibiki came over and started to flirt with Wendy. She looked really uncomfortable and quickly went to hide behind James. He glared at Hibiki who just shrugged and rejoined his friends.

James leaned against a pillar and Wendy continued to hide next to him. Natsu looked at her deep in thought, like the boy was trying to remember her. She gave him a slight smile, which Natus returned figuring he made a new friend.

"Can we get down to business?" James asked.

"Okay, now that all parties are present, we can get the mission briefing underway," Ichiya stated. He was on a lit platform, showing off. "Our first order of business is determining the location of the Oración Seis!" Then he ran off to the use the restroom. James sighed and smacked himself in the forehead.

"I am so done with these people. Erza can I go home yet?" James growled.

"No, now behave," Erza chided.

"Much better," Ichiya stated as he returned. "Now, please pay close attention: To the north lies the Worth Woodsea, where the ancients once sealed a powerful force. A magic called Nirvana!"

"We don't know much about this magic other than its name," Ren added. "But that it is destructive in nature."

"And that the Oración Seis wants it badly," Even interjected.

"Bad feeling confirmed," Lucy whined. James heard Wendy gulp in fear beside him.

"We assume that's why they travelled to the Worth Woodsea. They're desperate to get their hands on such a powerful magic," Hibiki concluded.

"To prevent that from happening, we must destroy the Oración Seis!" Ichiya and his men cried.

"We may have the advantage in numbers, but remember," Ren started.

"We must not underestimate them," Eve continued.

"They are incredibly strong. We may be in over our heads," Hibiki concluded. He snapped his fingers and pulled up a screen and keyboard, Archive. A few clicks later, several images of the enemy appeared before the Blue Pegasus wizards.

"First up is the snake wizard, Cobra," Hibiki explained. "Next is a wizard, judging from his name, likely uses speed magic: meet Racer. Then there's a wizard who's willing to wipe out an entire military unit if the price is right: Divine Eyes Hoteye. She's gorgeous and just as vicious; this is Angel. The next member is such a mystery, all we know is his name: Midnight."

"I wonder if it correlates to his power," Erza mused. James shrugged.

"Finally the commander of Oración Seis: Brain. There you have it. Alone they can wipe out entire guilds and together, they're unstoppable."

He had shown the assembled wizards images of each opponent wizard. Cobra had spikey dark red hair, a mischievous grin and beady eyes and wore a white jacket; Racer had spiked up yellow hair, wore some kind of headgear that covered his eyes and chin and a red racing jacket; Hoteye had swept-back orange hair and chisled features; Angel wore a very revealing white dress to match her pale features; Midnight sat on a flying carpet and wore baggy clothing suited to warm arid environments; and Brain wore a heavy coat with fur trim, had tribal tattoos, white hair and carried a staff.

"We have thirteen to their six, but that's our only advantage," Hibiki finished. He turned to Archive and started to press more keys.

"Question: Can I volunteer to stay behind and not die today?" Lucy asked quivering in fear. James was suddenly aware that Wendy was holding his arm rather tightly.

"I wanna go home," Wendy whimpered.

"I won't let anyone hurt you okay," James said encouragingly. Something about Wendy really brought out the big brother in him.

"Curb your fear my friends!" Ichiya exclaimed. "There is more to our operation than mortal combat. With your help maybe we can find the enemy's stronghold!"

"Stronghold?" Natsu asked.

"You heard the man," Ren stated. "We've looked everywhere but have had no luck."

"Here's the deal," Eve continued. "They've got to have a temporary base in the Worth Woodsea."

"And once we've located it, our plan is to gather the Oración Seis inside," Ichiya concluded.

"How do we do that?" Gray asked.

"We beat them up and drag their buts there!" Natsu suggested enthusiastically.

"You're a little too excited about this," Lucy sighed.

"What's next?" James asked cutting through the antics.

"Then we'll give them a one-way ticket to oblivion! Curtesy of Christina, the majestic pride of the Blue Pegasus Guild," Ichiya exclaimed proudly. That got James' attention. The Magic Bomber: Christina had been the main article in _Wizarding Tech_ a few months ago. It was a flying battle station capable of obliterating just about anything. He gave a low whistle in appreciation.

"Is that really necessary?" Lucy asked skeptical. "There's only six of them!"

"That's the kind of enemy we face," Jura stated firmly. "Remember, under no circumstance should you ever engage the enemy in solo combat. Our best bet is to separate them and devote two wizards to each fight."

"Let's go!" Natsu smirked, slamming his flaming fist into his palm in excitement. "I'm all fired up." He charged the door, subsequently destroying it, and headed off looking for a fight. "Time to hunt me some demons! Ready or not here I come!"

"Moron," James growled as he joined the rest of the Fairy Tail wizards outside as they watched the dust settle from Natsu's rampage.

"Always acting without a thought in his head," Erza sighed.

"Somedays I wonder about his mental health," Lucy sighed.

"How much you want to bet he didn't even hear the plan?" Gray stated.

"Five shots back at the bar," James smirked. Erza shook her head at that but Gray took him up on the offer. "Now let's go!" The gang nodded, despite some protesting from Lucy and took after Natsu. Soon the rest of the Allied wizards tore off after them. James however soon realized that Wendy had fallen far behind.

"I'll catch up," James told Erza. She looked back and saw what James had noticed. She nodded and urged Lucy and Gray on while James waited for Wendy.

"Want a lift?" James asked.

"We don't need your help," Carla glared. Wendy just looked sheepish.

"She doesn't belong on a battlefield," James stated. "I don't doubt the girl's power, but rather her conviction. She's too young and inexperienced to fight the opponents we're going up against. I know from personal experience."

"You mean you've fought the Oración Seis before?" Carla gasped. James shook his head and explained, "No, but I have fought Dark Guilds like them before. Wendy won't stand much of a chance without someone to guard her. That's all I ask."

"Fine," Carla begrudgingly agreed. James nodded and gently hoisted Wendy onto his back. Carla jumped onto his shoulder. He took off at a rapid pace to catch up with the rest of the wizards. He saw the rest of the group had stopped at a cliff side.

"Where's Natsu?" James sighed. Gray just pointed down the cliff face to a large dark, foreboding forest: Worth Woodsea. The gang jumped down the cliff, sliding and moving from outcrop to outcrop until they reached the bottom. Staying together they moved deeper into the woods.

"Something's not right here," Erza stated as they ran.

"No kidding. It's like the deeper we go, the spookier it gets," Gray explained.

"Keep your guard up," Leon ordered.

Eventually they reached a rocky pathway that cut through the forest like a knife. There the wizards caught up with Natsu.

"You're one sturdy freak," James stated. "You know that right?"

A shadow passed overhead just then, causing the gang to look up. Floating above them was the Magic Bomber: Christina.

"Damn," James whistled. "It's one thing to read about it, but it's another to see it up close. What I wouldn't give to get my hands on that thing. That tech would be really useful for my Mech Magic."

"Alright, let's split up and start searching for their temporary base," Erza ordered.

Suddenly the starboard side of Christina exploded; the flying warhorse belching smoke and fire from her side. A series of explosions detonated along her flanks causing critical damage. The Magic Bomber descended rapidly, impacting the ground in a brilliant flash of light. James felt Wendy shield her eyes against his shoulder.

"Not good," James breathed.

"We got company," Natsu stated.

"Everyone stay frosty!" Gray ordered.

"Hide," James ordered Wendy. She nodded and Carla took her to hide behind a nearby large boulder. From the smoke of the crash emerged six ominous figures.

"Oración Seis," James breathed.

"Lowly maggots," Brain growled, "swarming together."

"I'm afraid short-stuff isn't going to make it to the party," Angel taunted.

"Neither is that big bald wizard saint," stated one of her floating dolls.

"We took them down!" the other squealed.

"Defeated?" Leon gasped.

"Impossible!" Hibiki snapped.

"There's terror in their voices. I can hear it," Cobra sneered.

"The quicker we wrap this up the better," Racer stated. "I'll run you over so fast it'll make your head spin."

"Money determines strength in this world. Oh yeah. If you save but a penny today, it will become a vast fortune in the future. Furthermore-," Hoteye explained before his comrades cut him off.

"I have to admit I didn't expect you to show yourselves," Erza stated.

"Need an invitation?" Cobra taunted.

"You being here is enough for us!" Gray and Natsu cried. The hot-blooded, fight-happy members of Fairy Tail surged forward to meet the enemy. Racer quickly intercepted the two sending them flying in opposite directions. Other wizards quickly paired off and fought.

"Mech Magic Form Kleine Jaeger!" James roared. He charged and intercepted Racer as he saw the guy was quickly cutting down the Allied wizards. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Erza requip into her Heaven's Wheel Armor and was fighting Cobra, although the fight seemed one-sided.

"There's a speed limit, buddy!" James snapped as he closelined Racer.

"You actually hit me?" Racer stated confused. James just cracked his neck and surged forward, further catching Racer off-guard as he moved fast enough to phase out of sight just as Racer was doing.

"Fist of the War Monger!" James roared as he drove his fist into Racer's gut. Racer grunted in pain but quickly recovered, jumping back before charging forward and unleashing a series of lightning quick punches, jabs, and kicks. James block and deflected all the strikes but not without denting and damaging his armor.

The rest of the wizards were barely holding off the enemy; seeming to make progress only to get beaten down and having their collective butts handed to them.

"Damn you," James growled. He deflected Racer's next strike and threw a punch of his own, only to have Racer vanish. Two feet planted themselves firmly in James' back and sent him flying. A pillar of ground erupted forth and sent James skyward. Dazed and weakened, his armor disappeared and James noticed the rest of his friends had been soundly defeated. He collided with the ground next to Erza.

"How pathetic," Brain sighed. "Prepare for Oblivion' embrace!" He held forth his staff, a dark purple magic circle forming with a death skull in the center. Dark green tendrils erupted from the circle with a subsonic boom. James gasped in pain as he felt the magic's dark embrace.

"Dark Rondo!" Brain cried but suddenly he canceled the spell.

"What's the matter, Brain?" Racer asked annoyed.

"You going to cast that thing or what?" Cobra asked.

Brain was sweating and his eyes had gone wide in shock, disbelief, and fear, or so James thought. Following his line of sight, James realized Brain had discovered Wendy.

"Wendy," Brain breathed.

* * *

 **AN: Sorry this took so long to post. But thanks for your patience and continuing to support the page. Mech Magic now had over 1200 views. Never thought it would get even that high. Thanks for all the support. See you next time.**


	25. Maiden of The Sky

**Maiden of the Sky**

James groaned as he struggled to get back up. The entire coalition force had been wiped out in a matter of minutes after Christina had been destroyed. Brain had been about to cast a powerful spell before he caught sight of Wendy. Now the man seemed fixated on her.

"No doubt about it. That's Wendy, the Maiden of the Sky," Brain stated as he coldly regarded the blue-haired girl.

"Not good," James growled. He had heard the name before and he knew the Oración Seis couldn't get their hands on her. Wendy cowered behind her rock trying to keep out of sight.

"To think we simply stumbled upon her here. We've made quite a find my friends. Grab her!" Brian ordered. He lowered his staff again and fired a sickly green tentacle of energy at poor Wendy. It grabbed and dragged her back to Brain, the young girl screaming the entire way.

"Help me!" Wendy shrieked. James growled and staggered to his feet. He said he'd protect Wendy and wasn't about to go back on his word. He tried to reach Wendy but Hoteye made the ground surge and roll tossing the allied wizards about like ragdolls. James saw Wendy and somehow Happy get sucked into a swirling green vortex and disappear into Brain's staff.

"I have no use for the rest of you. Be gone!" Brain barked. "Dark Rondo!" He unleashed a vicious blast of magic bolts from his staff aimed at the wizards.

"Jaeger!" James barked as he quickly turned into his thirty foot tall blue mech. He tossed himself over his allies, using his body as a shield to try and save them from the worst of the assault. However the assault never came. James glanced over his shoulder to see a series of rock pillars had formed out of the surrounding ravine walls to form a protective barrier over him and the others.

"Made it just in the nick of time." James looked forward to see Jura standing there.

"Thanks," James growled, returning to normal.

"Okay, let's take them down," Natsu growled, referring to the enemy wizards.

"They're long gone," Gray stated.

"Damn it," James growled. Then he spotted Erza.

She wasn't moving.

While the others bickered and whined over how the enemy had whipped the floor with them and how their plan had fallen through, James rushed over to his girlfriend and held her. He barely registered what the others were saying as he saw the blue poison working its way through her system.

"What happened?" James asked.

"Cobra's snake bit me. It hurts so much," Erza hissed.

"It will be okay. I swear," James breathed as he brushed her hair from her eyes. "I will do everything I can to fix this."

"Hey you okay?" Natsu asked. James looked up and saw that Erza and he were now the center of attention.

"I'm no doctor, but even I can tell that's not good," Lucy whispered. Erza cried in pain and it tore at James' heart.

"I know what you need my honey; little painkiller perfume!" Ichiya unleashed more of his perfumes and James noticed that his wounds were hurting less but Erza was still withering in pain.

"The perfume has a cleansing effect that will expel any toxins," Hibiki explained. However the poison seemed to only spread more causing Erza to shriek in pain.

"Put that away!" James roared. He slashed the air and Ichiya cried in pain. One of James' Schneider blades and the bottle of perfume fell to the ground. "You're only making things worse!"

"I need your belt," Erza groaned to James. He looked at her perplexed as she fumbled around with the clasp and then ripped it off. She then tightened it around her upper bicep, just above the poison forming a tourniquet. James immediately realized what she was planning.

"No," James breathed.

"It's harsh, but it's the only way," she explained. "I need to keep fighting." She stuck a piece of cloth in her mouth and threw her sword into the ground amidst her allies.

"Somebody cut it off," She ordered.

"Are you insane?" James breathed.

"At least give us time to find an antidote!" Gray snapped.

"We don't have time!" Erza hissed.

"Very well," Leon stated, grasping the sword. "I will do it!"

"Put down the sword," Gray snarled.

"Do it!" Erza snapped.

"Erza, think about it," James breathed, trying to hold her still. "This will affect you for the rest of your life. I will love you no matter what, but please don't make any rash decisions."

"We can't lose one of our strongest when we're facing such a powerful foe," Leon rationalized.

"Your friend is going to die if we don't do something to help her," Sherry stated.

"Leon's going to die if he doesn't lower the sword!" James snapped

"Just cut it off before the venom spreads to the rest of my body!" Erza ordered. Leon brought down the sword but Gray stood in the way, his ice encapsulating and blocking the weapon.

"Her arm is more important to you than her life?" Leon chided. "Where are your priorities?"

"This will affect her for the rest of her life. There's got to be another way," Gray reasoned.

"Wendy," James breathed suddenly remembering where he'd heard her name. "She can do it." However Erza didn't hear him as the pain finally became too much and she went limp in his arms.

"Indeed," Carla stated, appearing at his side. "This is no time to be bickering amongst ourselves. We need to work together to come up with a plan to rescue Wendy," she said to the others, chiding them for their brash behavior.

"I could tell she was strong, "James stated looking at Carla. "She's a powerful healer isn't she?"

"She can cure fevers, relieve pain, and heal wounds," Carla elaborated.

"But I thought healing spells were a lost magic," Sherry argued. "There's no way she could use them."

"Does it have anything to do with the whole 'Maiden of the Sky' thing?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah," James nodded. "She goes by another name, but I forget what it is. It's been a long time since I've heard of her."

"That little girl is the Sky Dragon Slayer," Carla explained. "She's Wendy the Sky Dragon."

That got everyone's attention.

"She's a dragonslayer too!" Natsu gasped.

"I'll give you the details later. But there's really not much more you need to know," Carla sighed. "Wendy is the only wizard capable of saving your friend; we need her right now. Unfortunately the Oración Seis feel they need her too for some unknown reason."

"In that case we need to rescue Wendy," Gray said.

"For Erza," James stated. A resounding roar of approval went up and the wizards divided up into teams to search for the Maiden of the Sky. James made sure Erza was comfortable and that the tourniquet was tight.

"I won't be long," James whispered. He took off his black dress shirt and balled it up under her head, leaving him in just a white undershirt. "We'll find Wendy and bring her back her to save you." He kissed her forehead and turned to Lucy.

"Watch her for me, please," James pleaded. Lucy nodded firmly and James took off after Natsu, Gray, and Carla. James hated himself for leaving Erza in her time of need but he knew he would be of more value trying to find Wendy.

"So if she's a Sky Dragon Slayer, what she eat for power?" Natsu asked after they had been running for a bit.

"Air of course," Carla stated. She was flying along using her wings to as to keep up with the long-legged humans.

"Does it taste any good?" Natsu asked.

"I don't know," Carla replied.

"I don't see how that's any different from breathing," Gray murmured.

James just shook his head at the whole affair.

"You know the only reason she applied for this mission was because she wanted the chance to meet you," Carla said to Natsu.

"Why me?" he inquired.

"Because you're a fellow dragon slayer; there's something she wanted to ask you about."

"Did she tell you?"

"Yes. Apparently the dragon who taught her Dragon Slayer Magic mysteriously disappeared seven years ago. She was hoping you might be able to tell her its whereabouts."

"I need more info. What's the dragon's name?"

"I believe Wendy called her the Sky Dragon Grandeeney," Carla elaborated.

"The Sky Dragon Grandeeney. Seven years ago," Natsu mused. Until he ran headfirst into an arching tree root.

"Maybe Laxus knows!" Natsu exclaimed.

"He's not a real dragon slayer, remember?" James countered.

"What's happened here?" Carla gasped. James' eyes went wide as he saw the dark haze that enveloped the forest ahead, turning everything black.

"That is creepy," Natsu whimpered.

Then the gang heard footsteps behind them. They turned to see two large men walking towards them. One had a purple afro and white disco suit while the other had blonde spiky hair and wore shoulder pads and brown cloak. Both had large ears, mouths, and noses, but beady eyes.

"Word on the street is it's caused by Nirvana. Ain't that right Big Bro Zato," the blonde explained.

"Oh yeah. Magic so powerful the planet can't take it," the disco one added. "Everything it touches withers up and dies, Big Bro."

Suddenly the trees came to life with the hoots and howls of dozens of monkey like people.

"This is bad," Carla breathed. James, Gray, and Natsu stood with their backs to each other. "They've got us surrounded," Carla stated.

"Those two have got to be the dumbest monkeys I've ever seen!" Natsu squealed as Big Bro Gato repeated himself and Zato yelled at him

Then a little bald guy started having a conniption. "You guys are from Fariy Tail! You're friends with that blonde girl!"

"That one's an angry monkey!" Natsu smirked.

"Don't go messing with Naked Mummy!" Gato barked. "Were with the Oración Seis!"

"That's right! You got a death wish pal?" Zato asked.

"Any other day, maybe," James smirked. "But I have things to do today. Gray, Natsu when I give the signal, jump." Both wizards nodded.

"It was a trap!" Carla exclaimed. "They tricked us into thinking we'd only be fighting six wizards."

"The more the merrier," Gray smirked.

"Bring on the monkeys!" Natsu cried gleefully.

"You guys are insane! We should run!" Carla snapped.

"That would be rude," Gray argued. "Especially after they came to us."

"Besides, they could tell us where their base is," James added.


	26. The Girl and the Ghost

**The Girl and the Ghost**

"Now!" James barked as the monkeys charged. Natsu and Gray jumped into the air as James encased his right arm in his Jaeger armor.

"Fist of the War Monger!" James slammed his fist into the ground sending shockwaves through the ground and trees. Monkeys went flying. James quickly requipped to his Panzer armor, encasing just his torso in the armor and lower leg braces.

"Light 'em up!" James declared. Natsu and Gray smirked as they charged the nearest group of falling monkeys and proceeded to wail on them. James unleashed his cannons and fired, taking out the big two. Natsu and Gray tore into the rest of the gang, decimating dozens of monkeys in a single blow. James removed his primary cannons and equipped a pair of SMGs and unloaded magic bullets into another swath of Naked Mummy members.

"You think that's going to stop us?" Big Bro Zato growled. James glanced over at them before popping open a missile pod on his chest.

"Primzahl rakaten." The missiles glowed on his chest. "Beschuss." The missiles launched and exploded around the Big Bros. The smoke cleared and they collapsed.

Natsu and Gray gasped and panted as James collapsed his armor. The Ice and Fire wizards had handily defeated the grunts

"Man that was a workout," Natsu sighed, wiping sweat from his brow. "Thought it would have been a lot easier."

"They put up a decent fight for sure," Gray stated.

"What kind of idiot thinks he can take on an entire guild?" Carla scolded. "You were outnumbered twenty to one!"

"Really?" James stated innocently. "Eh, I've fought worse odds." He then reached down and grabbed Big Bro Zato. "Now down to business: Where is your hideout?"

"I ain't telling you squat," Zato laughed. James' face clouded over and he summoned his sword. "You want to try that again?" James growled.

Zato spat in his face.

"Wrong move." James slammed the flat of his sword into Zato's head knocking the big oaf out.

"Try the other one," James ordered Natsu.

"Okay, there all yours buddy. Have at 'em," Big Bro Gato moaned as Natsu tried to interrogate him.

"What that mean?" Gray asked.

"Well, well, I see you pesky little flies are still buzzing around," a deep voice stated from the trees. James looked up and saw a man in a black coat with yellow trim, white hair that was swept to the left side of his face, and a cruel demeanor. "That's why I've been sent to come what you down once and for all, you insects."

"Not this guy again," Natsu gasped.

"Who's this clown?" James asked indicating the newcomer.

"That's right, you weren't with the team when we took Erigor down," Gray said. "He had planned on using the Lullaby Flute to destroy Gramps and some of the other guild leaders."

"Yeah, I roasted him good," Natsu smirked.

"After the fall of Eisenwald Guild, I used my expertise as an enforcer in the service of the Oración Seis bidding my time until now. The day I would finally have my revenge! The day Erigor the Reaper would rise again!" Erigor proclaimed.

"So you came here looking for a rematch?" Gray asked.

"Sounds like fun to me," Natsu smirked.

James sighed and leaned against a tree, crossing his arms. "Natsu, take care of this clown. Quickly please, we have places to be."

"No problem!" Natsu cried. Natsu jumped up and proceeded to wail on Erigor.

"I see you've stepped up your game little fly!" Erigor taunted.

"I don't have the time to chat with you right now; I got to go rescue my friends!" Natsu growled. He became encased in fire as Erigor unleashed a magic blast that decimated the landscape.

"That was pitiful," Natsu growled. "If all you've been thinking about was revenge, you haven't grown one bit. I guess I should be flattered. Didn't realize I was that important to yah!"

"Natsu! Quit the batter and end this!" James ordered. Natsu nodded charged Erigor. He blasted though Erigor's wind tunnel and just destroyed the wind wizard with series of devastating fire punches. Erigor collided with the ground prompting James to get up. He calmly walked over to the enforcer and grabbed him by his collar.

"Where are your friends?" James growled.

"Village to the west. Hiding in a cave," Erigor groaned before passing out again.

"Thanks." James dropped him and gestured for his friends to follow after him. They caught up and the wizards continued to look for their friends. Soon they came upon a cliff, more like a sunken hole in the ground. One hundred feet below them an island sat in the middle of a small lake formed by a series of waterfalls pouring down into a large bowl in the ground.

"Happy!" Natsu cried over the edge. "Wendy!" The bowl echoed back his calls.

"Quiet!" Carla hissed. "Our enemy might be hiding down there!"

"Incoming!" James roared. The Fairy Tail wizards were then clotheslined by Racer as he came shooting up over the cliff edge and onto a tree branch.

"That's payback for earlier," Racer sneered at James.

"What's this guy doing here?" Natsu asked.

"I think we found their base," James stated, his right arm becoming encased in his Jaeger armor.

"I can handle him," Gray stated. "You guys get down there and help Wendy and Happy."

"Got it," Natsu nodded.

"You'll stay right here!" Racer sneered. He came charging down from his tree perch but soon lost traction because of Gray icing up the tree. James then punched him in the face as he slide down.

"Hey, bust out your wings!" Natsu smirked at Carla only to find she was incapacitated. James sighed and equipped his Valkyrie armor.

"Gray, take care of Racer. We'll be back soon with Wendy and Happy," James stated as he grabbed Natsu and the cat. Gray nodded and faced off with Racer as James took to the air and dove into the bowl.

"Wendy!" James roared after he landed. Natsu was overcoming a quick bout of motion-sickness from the dive.

"Natsu! Help!" Happy's voice came echoing out of a cave to the gang's left. They ran over and stopped shocked in the main entrance. All of fifty feet back was an altar covered in candles, a t-shaped coffin lied on the ground and three figures were visible. Two were standing and one was kneeing, crying.

"I'm so sorry," Wendy whimpered. "Forgive me!"

The second man turned and coolly regarded Natsu and James.

"It's not possible," James breathed. "I killed you."

Before his eyes, standing next to Brain, was Jellal.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Wendy cried over and over. "I had to. I owe him."

James collapsed to his knees as he regarded the man he thought he had killed fighting in the collapsing Tower of Heaven.

 _But how? No one survives a direct strike from the Götterdämerrung_ James thought in shock.

"Wendy you used your healing magic on him?" Carla scolded. "What were you thinking? You know what that does to you!" As if on cue, Wendy collapsed from exhaustion. Jellal looked at her as if regarding a curiosity.

"I don't know why you're here or where you came from but you don't belong here!" Natsu roared. He charged Jellal, his fist ablaze. Jellal looked at him bored before unleashing a massive blast of Heavenly Body magic. Natsu was fried and sent colliding into the cavern wall, becoming buried under a pile of rubble.

"Thankfully your condition hasn't diminished your power," Brain stated. Jellal glanced at him before exploding the ground below Brain, sending Oración Seis' leader into the ground. Jellal then slowly walked out of the cavern. He paused only for a moment to glance at James.

"I don't know how you survived, but I will find you and I will settle this once and for all," James breathed as Jellal stopped. Jellal looked James over and for a moment a look of confusion came over him before he shook his head and kept walking.

"Bring it on!" Natsu cried as he unburied himself. James staggered to his feet and replied, "He left."

"That coward!" Natsu growled.

"He is a matter for another time," James said as he gently scooped up Wendy. Her cheeks were tear-stained and her eyes puffy. James gently wiped her face clean and headed for the cave exit. "Let's get Wendy to Erza." He reequipped into his Valkyrie armor and took off.

"I hate that guy," Natsu growled in regards to Jellal. "Right let's go!" Happy spread his wings and grabbed Natsu as the two headed after James.

"Look out!"

James glanced down at what he thought was Gray's voice only to see a red and yellow blur and then feel a very painful kick to the back of his head. He gritted his teeth in pain as he wrapped his wings around him and Wendy as the force of the kick sent him down into the trees. He was vaguely aware of Natsu and Happy suffering a similar fate. James collided with the ground and rolled to protect Wendy.

"Keep moving!" James roared. Natsu grabbed the unconscious cats and the two took off running. James removed his Valkyrie armor as he glanced behind them. Racer was giving chase.

"Must go faster! Must go faster!" James ordered. Then a wall of ice erupted from the ground stopping Racer dead in his tracks.

"Got him?" Natsu called back.

"Hurry!" Gray panted. "I said I can handle this guy by myself!"

"I don't know," Natsu argued. "I can tell you burned through a bunch of your power!"

"Just go! I got this!" Gray snapped.

"Natsu, we need to get Wendy back to Erza," James ordered. "I sense other powerful wizards coming. Can't tell if they're friend or foe. If we run into more trouble one of us can stay and fight while the other keeps moving. Gray can handle himself just fine."

"I won't let him pass no matter what it takes!" Gray barked. "Now go!"

Natsu nodded reluctantly and the two took off again.


	27. Dead Grand Prix

**Dead Grand Prix**

James and Natsu ran as fast as they could through the Worth Woodsea. They needed to get Wendy to Erza as quickly as possible while avoiding running into any more goons of Oración Seis or the members themselves.

"Natsu, where are we?" Happy moaned in Natsu's arms. The dragonslayer was carrying the two cats while James had Wendy cradled against his chest.

"No talking little buddy. You need to rest up," Natsu chided softly.

"But Jellal's out there somewhere," Happy continued.

"Yeah, I know," Natsu frowned. "But don't you worry; I'm going to make sure he doesn't stick around long."

"When we get back to Erza, please refrain from bringing _him_ up. It will only upset Erza further," James ordered. "We need to be focused on dealing with the Oración Seis and if Erza finds out Jellal is running around, her attention won't be where it needs to be."

"Why's that? I thought she liked you now," Natsu asked confused.

"While it is true that we are a couple, Erza still harbors feeling for her old childhood friend. Seeing Jellal's face on Mystogan proved that. She will try and find Jellal and save him should she find out he is still alive," James explained. Natsu nodded and said, "Okay, no talking about Jellal."

"Natsu! James!"

A voice rang out hollowly grabbing the two Fairy Tail wizard's attention bringing them to a halt.

"The hell?" James murmured as he looked around. The two were completely alone.

"Why'd you stop?" Happy asked.

"Can you guys hear me?" the voice continued.

"I think the tree is talking to us," Natsu whispered. James sighed and hung his head in exasperation.

"Can you hear me?" the voice continued.

"Yeah, we hear ya," James replied.

"This is Hibiki from Blue Pegasus. I'm glad I could reach you; no one else has responded so far," Hibiki explained.

"How are you doing this?" James asked. He continued to look around hoping to find the blonde wizard.

"Archive is allowing me to talk directly into your mind. Now please keep your voices down, the enemy has scouts throughout the Woodsea. There's no telling who might be listening in on us," Hibiki said. "Now what's your status? Have you found Wendy and the cat?"

"Yeah, we got them," James whispered, motioning for Natsu to be quiet. "How's Erza?"

"Stable, but she doesn't have much time. I'm going to upload a map into your minds that will lead you straight to the temporary camp we set up," Hibiki explained.

"What is this stuff? Stay out of my head!" Natsu growled. James shot him a look to keep quiet. Then Natsu gasped as he and James suddenly were able to perfectly picture a map of the Worth Woodsea that lead them straight to Erza, Hibiki, and Lucy.

"That's new," James breathed. He straightened his shoulders and turned to Natsu. "I'm going to go on ahead. We need to get Wendy to Erza as quickly as possible. My Valkyrie Mech allows me to fly through the air at nearly the speed of sound. It hurts and puts a lot of stress on my magic reserves, but Erza's life is more important. I can only carry one though. Follow the map Hibiki gave us and meet us back at camp."

Natsu nodded but said, "I'll just follow you." James activated his Valkyrie Mech and took to the sky. Natsu jumped up after him using his flames to act as thrusters. Skimming the tops of the trees James poured on the speed. A cone of compressed air formed around him as he ripped through the sky, stripping leaves off the tops of the trees. Natsu followed behind at a safe distance and slower speed but he managed to keep James in sight. Thanks to the speed of his Mech, James reached the designated point on the map in only a few minutes with Natsu right behind him.


	28. Darkness

**Darkness**

James dove headfirst into the trees. Flipping midair, he slammed into the ground, falling into a crouch, his fist slamming into the ground to arrest his momentum. He clutched Wendy tightly against his chest as the aftershock of his rapid entry caused the wind to whip about widely tearing at any loose item. Natsu landed beside him in a much more gently fashion.

"What the hell?" Lucy cried as she regarded James.

"Sorry for the rough entrance, but speed was of the essence," James stated. He gently placed Wendy on the ground and tried to arouse her. He gently patted her cheek until she gave a weak coo and came back to the land of the living.

She looked up and saw James' concerned face but responded by squealing and trying to get away.

"I had to do it! Sorry!" Wendy clutched her head in fear and remorse as she shook uncontrollably.

"It doesn't matter right now," James whispered, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. "Please just save Erza. I can't go on without her." He glanced painfully at Erza, his eyes fixed on the angry purple veining that covered her entire right arm and the right half of her face.

"She was bitten by a poisonous snake," Natsu added. "She's in bad shape. Please save her." He had prostrated before the poor Sky Dragonslayer begging for help.

"We need Erza to defeat the Oración Seis. We don't stand a chance against them without her help," Hibiki stated.

"Please, Wendy! We need her more than ever!" Lucy cried.

"I will try to save her," Wendy said determinedly. "No, I _will_ save her!" James gave her a small smile as Wendy went and kneeled beside Erza. The young girl held her hands over the redhaired warrior and they started to glow blue as Wendy healed Erza. James knelt opposite from Wendy and gently took Erza's fingers in his, running the pads of his fingers against hers.

"That should do it," Wendy said after a few minutes, wiping her brow. "I got rid of all the venom. Now all we have to do is wait." James clutched Erza's hand as he and the other Fairy Tail wizards watched her with bated breath. Soon Erza's breathing stabilized and she regained a much healthier color.

"She's okay!" Natsu, Lucy, and Happy cried.

"Thank God," James breathed. He gripped Erza's hand tightly and then held her gently.

"Thank you," James whispered to Wendy. "Thank you."

"She probably won't wake up for a little while, but she'll be back to normal when she does," Wendy whispered looking crestfallen.

"Excuse me!" Carla said, demanding attention. "Now that your friend is healed, please don't make Wendy use her sky magic again. She'll insist that she's fine, but I can tell she's exhausted by the look on her face."

"No, you got it all wrong!" Wendy rebuked. "I'm just worried that's all."

"We're going to strike back as soon as Erza wakes up. There's no need to worry okay," Hibiki stated.

"Yeah! Watch out Oración Seis!" Lucy cried confidently.

Suddenly an earthshattering explosion rocked the world and a blinding light pierced through the trees. Black tendrils filled the air as a black pillar of light climbed higher and higher. A ear-shattering roar drowned out all other noise.

"What is that?" Lucy shrieked.

"Knowing our luck, someone just popped the seal on Nirvana," James moaned.

"A giant pillar of black light!" Wendy breathed.

"It's been unsealed!" Hibiki cried affirming James' suspicion. "That's Nirvana!"

The wizards stared in shock and awe as the black light slowly spread.

"That's got to be it," Hibiki said softly, breaking the silence.

"Seriously? But how did the Oración Seis beat us to the punch?" Lucy demanded.

"That pillar of light," Natsu growled. "I know Jellal's there!" James' head snapped around as he glared at Natsu. He had specifically ordered him to _not_ bring up that man's name.

"Jellal?" Lucy whimpered. Natsu took off running without warning.

"Wait!" Lucy cried. "Don't just run off without telling us what's happening!"

James held Erza as she started to come back to life.

"Jellal?" Erza whispered, a very confused look on her face.

"If you plan on running after him, I'm coming with. No arguments," James stated sternly. Erza looked like she was going to argue, but James shut her down. "We are in this together. You're problems are my problems. I know Jellal means a lot to you so I'm going to help you figure this out. No matter the outcome."

Erza nodded, before giving James a soft kiss. "Thanks." James nodded and then the two snuck off without the others noticing. James and Erza ran through the Woodsea, heading straight for the pillar of light. As they ran, Erza changed back into her standard armor and James removed his Valkyrie Mech.

They didn't make it far before James collapsed to his knees; a piercing pain being driven into his head like a spike. Dark whispers grated at the edge of his consciousness, making him break out in a cold sweat and his breathing ragged.

 _Destroy them all!_

 _Kill the one who harmed your precious Titania!_

 _Give in to the darkness!_

 _Unleash Götterdämmerung and destroy all who stand in your way!_

 _Become the monster you know you are and destroy Oración Seis!_

 _Give in to your rage and hatred!_

James groaned as dark blue magic energy crackled around him and he started to phase in and out of his accursed black Mech.

"James what's wrong?" Erza cried kneeling beside James.

 _You are weak!_

 _You let a demon destroy your entire village!_

 _You let your parents die because you were weak!_

 _Die already you weakling!_

"It feels like there's this darkness that wants to take hold," James shuddered. "I can barely fight it off."

"Listen to me James; you are stronger than your demons! Believe me!" Erza whispered firmly. James looked her in the eyes and saw the determined look, the steadfast belief in him. "You can fight this," she continued more softly. "You need to. _I_ need you."

"Promise me, you'll keep your end of the bargain," James pleaded. Erza paled.

"James, please…," Erza breathed.

"Promise me!" James roared.

"Yes. I'll stop you by any means necessary if you lose control," Erza whispered sadly. James swallowed and staggered to his feet.

 _I am stronger than my past. I will not give in. Erza believes in me; she still needs me. The others need me._ James thought as he clenched his fist, steadying his body and quelling the shacking.

"Let's go find us a ghost," he said to Erza. She nodded and they took off running again.


	29. Jellal of Days Gone By

**Jellal of Days Gone By**

Erza and James head deep into the forest running towards the black pillar of light. The Worth Woodsea kept getting darker and darker as they headed deeper and deeper.

"Jellal, he's come back?" Erza whispered as they ran giving voice to her inner thoughts. "How is that possible? And why here of all places?" James could hear the anguish in her voice and it tore at his heart.

"I don't know. I could have sworn I killed him when we fought over the Tower of Heaven. He took a direct strike from the Götterdämmerung, something no one has survived before," James stated, wincing as he saw the pained expression on Erza's face when he told her he may have killed her old friend. "As for a why, all I can think of is that maybe Jellal knows where Nirvana is and how to activate it. Only reason I can see for Brain to bring him back."

"I am so confused," Erza whimpered. "I wish I knew what I was supposed to be feeling right now."

James stopped and grabbed Erza's arm. She looked at him confused.

"James we don't have time to stop," Erza said.

"Erza, things are hectic right now. I know you still have feelings for Jellal. But you need to focus on the mission right now. If it comes down to it, I need to know you will be able to make the tough decision if it comes down to it," James explained. "Or to stay out of the way, if it comes down to me defeating him again."

"I know," Erza said holding herself. "I want him to pay for what he did, I really do. But I'm just so confused."

James nodded and hugged Erza quickly. "I won't let you cry again because of this man." He held her tighter. "Come on. Let's end this." Erza nodded and they took off running again. Soon they were in a barren area filled with jagged rocky pillars covered in strange moss. A strong wind blew dust and small rocks into the air as a massive stone tower slowly ascended from the ground. James and Erza held up their arms to protect their faces as they forced their way through the dust storm to its heart.

There standing next to the pillar of black light and the tower was Jellal. He had stolen Erigor's jacket and watched the two approach. Entering the calm center of the dust storm, Erza stood petrified as she regarded her old friend. James was on edge. This place was filled with dark magic and it was affecting him, calling to lingering demons on the edge of his consciousness.

"Jellal," Erza finally said having regained her composure.

"Erza," Jellal replied evenly.

"Now, tell me: how did you end up here!" Erza snapped.

"I can't answer that," Jellal replied.

"Can't or won't?" James demanded.

Jellal ignored him and said, "Erza… Who is that?"

Erza gasped as she realized he didn't know who she was.

"I have no memory and yet I remember that name!" He clutched the sides of his head frantically as he continued. "I don't know who I am or where I came from! Can you tell me?" He looked at the pair pleadingly. "Do you know? Please tell me who Erza is! Please, if you know you have to tell me!"

"Oh, Jellal," Erza breathed, tears gracing her eyes.

James stood there dumbfounded. He was unsure if the amnesia had something to with him nearly killing Jellal or his resurrection. But this complicated things.

"Please if you know, you have to tell me," Jellal continued to plead. Erza slowly started towards him. "Jellal," she said firmly.

"Stay back!" he snapped blasting her with Heavenly Body Magic.

"Erza!" James cried running over to her. She was a little bruised but otherwise fine. Jellal was greatly unsettled by how little effect his magic had.

"Hey, everybody just calm down!" James snapped. He placed a reassuring hand on Erza, getting her to relax a little and not look so frightening. Turning to Jellal, James said in a soft voice, "We can help you with your memory. Just, please, slowly come to us."

"I'm the person you're looking for," Erza said. "I am Erza." The fierce stare she was giving Jellal sent chills down James' spine. She really had a bone to pick with this guy. "And you are Jellal.

"There was a time when we were close friends."

"We were?" Jellal gasped.

"Yes," Erza continued. "But that was before you became deranged, desecrated the dead, hurt my friends, destroyed the Magic Council, and killed Simon! If you try, if you even dare to forget the pain you've caused I'll take my sword to your heart and engrave it there! Now come to me! Face your atonement!"

Tears pooled at the corners of Jellal's eyes as anguish twisted his face. "I did that? To my comrades? What have I done?" He cupped his face as the tears fell. "Please no. Tell me it's not true! Tell me how can I make amends?"

James stood straighter as he couldn't help but feel pity for the broken man before him. This was not the same man he had fought and defeated above the Tower of Heaven. The man he had fought seemed possessed, obsessive, in his pursuit to activate the Tower of Heaven and take over the world. No, this man was broken, wrought with regret and sorrow for the deeds he had done.

James tensed as they pillar of light behind them changed from black to white as Nirvana entered its second stage of activation.

 _We don't have much time left._ James thought.

"If you've lost your memory, that would explain why I couldn't hear your thoughts," a voice said behind them. James and Erza turned to see Cobra and his large snake coming up behind them. James immediately dropped into a battle stance and charged a magic circle to engage the member of Oración Seis. "But now I've got a whole new slew of questions for you to answer."

"I should have known we were being watched," Erza growled, reprimanding herself.

"I'd like to know how you found Nirvana, but even more than that I'd like to know how you broke its seal?" Cobra snapped. The snake hissed in agreement.

"While I was unconscious, I heard a voice. 'I must have Nirvana' it would say. It's strange but when I woke up, I knew precisely where to find it," Jellal explained in a much steadier voice. "Somehow I could also sense just how incredibly dangerous and powerful it is. And so I decided to break Nirvana's seal to obliterate it."

"How you plan on doing that?" James asked incredulous.

"I've rigged this monstrosity with a Self-Destruction Circle. It's only a matter of time before Nirvana crushes itself," Jellal stated. Suddenly behind him appeared a dark purple pattern similar to circuitry that spread rapidly and covered the pillar of light. James balked at the size of it and innate complexity of the spell. His analytical mind was immediate analyzing the circuit-like nature of the spell.

 _If that spell is a powerful as I think it is, then it just might do the job_ James thought.

"This magic circle with this kind of complexity!" Cobra snarled as he tried to disarm the spell. "If I can't find a way to stop this we'll lose everything!" He turned to Jellal and snapped, "Spill it Jellal! Tell me how to disarm it or I'll beat it out of yah!"

Jellal instead of answering however clutched his chest in pain and stumbled.

"Erza," he grimaced. "Whenever I hear that name, a calmness washes over me." He coughed and sweat beaded on his face. "Cheerfulness, kindness fierce unwavering loyalty. I have no doubt you'll continue to despise me. Believe me I don't blame you; I would probably feel the same. If I am truly your friend then I can't allow that hatred to keep robbing you of your freedom." He coughed harder.

"What are you saying?" Erza asked softly. Then she gasped as she saw Jellal remove his hand from his chest and a smaller Self-Destruction Circle started to spread on his body as well.

"I'm sorry you suffered because of me. I'll do everything I can to make it right," Jellal stated.

"You didn't," Cobra growled.

"Be free, Erza, from your hatred. Escape your past! I will take your pain and your sadness. All of it. They cannot shackle you," Jellal smiled sadly as he collapsed backwards towards the ground.

"That crazy buggar!" James breathed. "He's going to blow himself up along with Nirvana!"

"Farewell Erza!" Jellal smiled as he hit the ground.

"Jellal!" Erza shrieked, tears in her eyes.


	30. March of Destruction

**March of Destruction**

Jellal laid there on the ground with his Self-Destruction Magic Circle slowly expanding across his chest. Erza ran for her long lost former friend in despair, trying to prevent the fool from blowing himself to High Heaven.

"Don't do this!" Erza cried. She fell to her knees beside Jellal and grabbed his shirt roughly. James knelt on his other side, watching Cobra out of the corner of his eye.

"Listen to me," Erza demanded. "You can't! I won't allow you to die like this! You have to atone for your sins!" She was shaking Jellal roughly, trying to make him come back to his senses. "It means nothing if you die now. Ignorant of what you've done!" Tears poured down her cheeks as she cried, "Own you guilt and live! Jellal!"

"Erza, don't cry. There's no reason to," Jellal whispered. Erza was taken aback. She glanced at her gauntleted hand, surprised to see tears there. James gently reached over and brushed them from her cheek and glared at Jellal.

"You're a good person," Jellal whispered before passing out again.

"Damn you," James growled. "You were supposed to be her friend. But all you've done is make Erza cry. I won't let you get away with this!"

"Wake up!" Erza cried at Jellal, shaking him again.

"This isn't how one should atone for their sins," James breathed.

"What could be the meaning of all this foolishness?" a deep voice asked. James stood at the ready as he saw Brain had joined them.

"He's back," Cobra breathed.

"A Magic Circle of Self-Destruction?" Brain mused.

"This is Jellal's doing!" Cobra explained. "We've gone through all this trouble to bring about Nirvana and this _idiot_ is trying to destroy it!"

"Spare the hysterics," Brain said calmly. "I don't answer to the name Brain by mere chance. Do you know how I came to be called that? I once worked at the Bureau of Magical Development; during my tenure there I produced hundreds of spells including those designed to being destruction such as this one. I still hold that knowledge to this very day. In fact I was the one who taught you how to use them. Or had you forgotten Jellal?"

Brain coldly regarded Jellal who laid in slight agony on the ground, the magic circles continuing to grow.

"So it seems he placed himself under one as well," Brain mused regarding the magic circle. "He intends to take the disarming code with him to the grave, does he?"

"I don't think he's going to be travelling down memory lane with you Brain. Sorry, but looks like that Ethernano wiped it all out," Cobra explained.

"It that so?" Brian laughed. "How comical." Brain started to walk towards the pillar of light and Magic Circle as he said, "We have no further need of his assistance." He reached out to the Magic Circle on Nirvana. "I know how to nullify this Magic Circle. Quite simply."

Before he could do so, he was hit in the back by a magic energy bolt. It forced him into the pillar of light. Brain was shocked by some kind of barrier before getting blasted back. Snarling he turned to see James pointing a rather large caliber pistol at him.

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid I can't allow that. We came here to stop you and destroy Nirvana. Jellal made things easier for us by placing that Magic Circle on it," James stated evenly. "But if you're in the mood for disarming bombs, feel free to remove the one that idiot put on himself."

"Insolent little maggot," Brain growled. He raised his staff but before he could fire off a spell, James fired a quick series of shots that impacted Brain forcing him into the barrier again. He cried out as he was electrocuted again and then forced away from Nirvana.

"Cobra deal with this maggot!" Brain snapped.

"With pleasure boss," Cobra smirked. That smirked died quickly when he saw a very large cannon aimed at his head.

"Go ahead," James smirked, the cannon's barrel glowing as a round charged. "Make my day."

"When did he?" Cobra growled. "I can't read this guy either?"

"Must I do everything?" Brain sighed. While James was distracted momentarily by Cobra, Brain fired off his Dark Rondo. James grunted in pain as several thick tendrils of dark energy slammed into his gut, launching him into the air. Then the tendrils slammed into his back, slamming James into the hard, unforgiving ground.

"Now that that little interruption is done with, I can get back to work," Brain stated. He held his hand out over the Magic Circle of Destruction again and then made a blade with his hand and sliced upward. Immediately the magic circle started to break apart as it was nullified.

"No!" Erza cried.

"You can't," Jellal moaned.

"Wow!" Cobra cheered.

Brain just laughed. "You tried your best Jellal but Nirvana is finally under my control!"

"Well see about that!" Erza charged forward summoning a sword.

"Nirvana arrive! Reveal your true face!" Brain roared. The ground started to shatter and quake.

"Damnit!" James cried as he quickly changed into his Valkyrie armor and Jellal because he was closest. "As much as I hate you, Erza wouldn't forgive me if I let you die here."

"I am sorry for all the trouble I have caused you," Jellal sighed.

"We'll deal with that later. Right now we have to keep from dying," James gritted. He poured on the speed and dodged the flying rubble as he made for Erza. She held on tight as James struggled to climb. Valkyrie was meant for speed and precision, single aerial combat, not ferrying bodies!

All around them Nirvana continued to become larger and larger. The ground was being destroyed around them and pure chaos was ensuing. Flying close to the edge of the monstrosity James was still able to recognize that it was some kind of massive city-like structure with at least six tentacles like legs supporting the entire structure.

As destruction died down and Nirvana settled, James landed along the outer edge of the city's wall. There was some kind of ridge that ran along the outside of the bowl like city wall.

"The Magic Circle that you placed on yourself, you must undo it this instant!" Erza demanded of Jellal. "You have a duty to stay alive."

"I failed," Jellal breathed. "I wasn't able to put a stop to Nirvana. Now the world is doomed."

"No there's always hope. Look there," Erza stated. Jellal and James glanced over towards one of the legs and saw the rest of the Fairy Tail Wizards running up the leg.

"Found Natsu," James sighed. The idiot was screaming at the top of his lungs as he ran along, leaving a trail of dust and smoke behind him.

"You see as long as we draw breath into our lungs we shall keep hope alive in our hearts," Erza explained. "And that hope will guild you throughout your life. So live."

"I will," Jellal stated. James placed his hand on Jellal's shoulder.

"You want to atone then live a life worth living, one that will make those you have wronged proud of you," James said softly. "Live each day to the fullest, do the right thing. Atone by living up to the expectations of those who care about you and by fighting for them.

"I've done some pretty bad things in my life but I atone for them every day by trying to make those I've hurt proud of me now. I have seen the dark side of this world and continue to fight for the light. You should do the same."

"I will," Jellal said determinedly. "I know I've done some horrible things in the past, even if I don't quite remember it all. I want to atone for it and if fighting by your side is how I can do so, I will gladly follow you anywhere."

"Good, let's go," Erza smiled.

Suddenly the giant structure started to move, causing everything to become very unstable. James, Erza, and Jellal all pressed themselves against the wall.

"We got to get inside!" Erza cried.

"On it!" James barked. "Jaeger!" His right arm became encased in his blue armor. "Fist of the War Monger!" James blasted a large hole into the outer city wall and broke into a hallway or tunnel that lined the inside of the wall.

"Let's go," James said. The others nodded and they slipped inside.

"We need to head straight for the center of the city and defeat Brain," Jellal stated. "That's where the control center is; at the top of the central tower."

"Understood. Although, five bucks says Natsu is already there," James said. "He always seems to be in the thick of it."

"We still have to deal with the rest of the Oración Seis as well," Erza added. James nodded. "No doubt they will try to get in our way and prevent us from stopping this monstrosity."


	31. Your Words

**AN: Sorry this took so long to post. I plan on finishing out the Oracion Seis arc before running my Orginal Arc that details James' background. After that I am going to stop working on Mech Magic. I may or may not return to it at a later time. Right now it's just hard to focus on writing it. Too many other stories running around in my head that want to be published. But enough excuses, on with the chapter.**

* * *

 **Your Words**

James, Erza, and Jellal ran through the city that was Nirvana. The entire place had an ominous aura about it. The buildings were hewn from stone but the stone looked like it had melted. The tower was still far in the distance rising tens of meters above the rest of the city.

Suddenly a large explosion rocked the base of the tower.

"What was that explosion?" Erza asked as the trio stopped.

"Nothing good," James muttered.

"It was near the throne," Jellal explained.

"Father can be so selfish sometimes," a voice behind them whined. "He took a big bite out of my fun and left me with measly scraps." The three turned around to see Midnight. "Now, since you're the last of my prey at least make it entertaining for me."

Jellal immediately stepped in front of Erza to protect her throwing his arms wide. James encased his right arm in his Jaeger armor and dropped into a fighting stance.

"Stand back. He's mine," Jellal commanded.

"Jellal you can't," Erza argued.

"You're still weak from that Self-Destruction Circle you put on yourself," James added. Jellal was adamant though and headed towards Midnight to fight. James remained at the ready, prepared to jump to this former enemy's aid. Jellal raised his hand and struggled to summon enough magical energy to fire off a blast of his Heavenly Body Magic. The beam shot towards Midnight and then it _bended_ around him before impacting and detonating in the background.

"How can I miss him at such close range?" Jellal asked confused.

 _Not good_ James thought.

Jellal staggered as pain went through him from using even that little amount of magic and he continued to advance. Midnight just regarded him with contemptuous amusement.

"Please stop this right now," Erza pleaded. "You are in no condition to fight. Let me!" Jellal just threw his hand back telling her to stay put. Both she and James growled.

"Bugger's going to get himself killed trying to protect you," James whispered.

"Well I'm waiting," Midnight taunted. Jellal summoned a large Magic Circle and unleashed a large volley of shots. They all arched towards Midnight and then detonated in a large explosion obscuring Midnight from view. Jellal grimaced in pain again as the exertion continued to take its toll on him. The smoke slowly cleared and Midnight was just standing there unharmed. He swept his hand back and suddenly Jellal was lifted into the air and then slammed him back down into the ground.

"This is boring," Midnight complained. "You're the fearsome Jellal I keep hearing about?" Jellal just laid there in pain. "Talk about a waste of time." He glared at Jellal. "Did you lose your memory and forget how to use magic too? How pathetic."

"That's it," James growled. He activated his full Jaeger armor and charged Midnight. Midnight easily dodged each strike even though he didn't seem to be moving.

"If James Price is so eager, who am I to keep him waiting," Midnight smirked. James growled and drove his fist right at the middle of Midnight's face. The dark wizard finally jumped back causing James to fall forward.

"Fist of the War Monger!" James roared using his forward momentum to his advantage. He struck the ground with his charged fist and the blast shockwaved forward towards Midnight. He just smirked as the attack split down the middle and diverted around him.

"James be careful!" Erza cried. Midnight held out his hand and suddenly James' armor twisted and binded until it was wrapped around him like so many iron bands.

"How the hell did you do that?" James snarled. The bonds were tightening and compressing his body making it hard to breath.

"Let him go!" Erza snapped as she swung her sword at Midnight. The man frowned as he leaned back from the strike. James gasped as his armor stopped trying to crush him. Instead it was Erza's armor that was now trying to crush her.

 _Why did he dodge her strike? Why didn't he just bend the sword around him? How is it I can move now but Erza can't?_ James thought. He charged forward again and threw a hard right jab at Midnight. Again the dark wizard frowned as he was forced to divert his attention from his opponent to another. Erza's armor stopped trying to crush her while James' arm went wide.

"He's using Reflector Magic!" Erza cried.

"Yes," Midnight admitted. "And whatever kind of attack I will be able to twist and manipulate all of it. Besides giving me a flawless defense, my magic allows me to dominate my opponents. Even light itself bends to my will."

"Could such an opponent truly exist?" Jellal moaned.

"Every opponent has their flaws," Erza countermanded. "You are no different. I will be your end!" She Requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor and charged.

"That's it. Rush towards your doom. I can't wait to see your face as I twist your body apart!" Midnight's eyes went wide in excitement and he gave a sadistic smile. He twisted her swords away from him despite Erza's best efforts. James and Erza worked in tandem forcing Midnight to be on his toes. Erza would come in high with a blade and James would come in low with a powerful strike or jab. Yet Midnight deflected them all.

"Dance my Swords!" Erza cried. James jumped back just in time to avoid getting skewered. Dozens of blades shot straight for Midnight and all were deflected away.

"You could throw a thousand and they still won't hit me!" Midnight gloated. He was just standing there, his arms crossed over his chest looking extremely smug.

"Erza, stop," James ordered. She called off her swords and looked at James confused. He had removed his armor except for his right arm again. He charged Midnight and struck at him with his right fist. The strike went wide, failing to connect and causing James to fall forward. But James kicked off, twisted his body around and slammed his left heel into the back of Midnight's head.

"Damn," Midnight growled. He grabbed James and tossed him away. Then he reached out and captured Erza in his magic. She screamed as her armor twisted and crushed her body.

"Soothe me with a lullaby of torment and agony!" Midnight licked his lips in glee.

"Let her go!" James roared. He slammed his right fist into Midnight's head and then drove his left leg into Midnight's ribs tossing the man into the nearest building. The wall collapsed on top of Midnight and James ran over to Erza.

"You okay?" James asked.

"Yeah," Erza breathed.

"I think I know how to beat this guy," James whispered.

"Same," Erza nodded.

"Spiral Pain!"

James and Erza cried out in pain as the air around them twisted and contorted, compressing and crushing their bodies; twisting and pulling at them. The spell died and the two fell to the ground.

"Much better," Midnight said. "Nothing wets my lips more than the tortured screams of the misfortunate."

"You are one sick puppy, you know that right?" James groaned. Midnight frowned and then gave James another session of his Spiral Pain.

"You can't die on me yet. I still want to play. I need entertainment," Midnight demanded.

"Again: you are one sick puppy," James coughed. This time Midnight just drove his foot into James' side.

"Come on! Entertain me! At least til we reach Cait Shelter," Midnight demanded.

"What is this Cait Shelter?" Jellal asked finally getting enough strength back to be able to get in an upright position.

"It's our first target of course," Midnight explained.

"What earned them that honor?" Jellal inquired.

"An excellent question," Midnight smirked turning around to face Jellal, the bells he was wearing jingling.

 _Keep him talking_ James thought. _Just until I can feel my fingers again._

"Long ago a peaceful tribe, the Nirvits created Nirvana hoping to end a cataclysmic war. But the tool they created was far more dangerous than the war they sought to end. So they sealed it away hoping it would never be used again. They were so afraid of it they swore to keep watch over the burial site. Their descendants have taken up that task through the ages and they make up a guild that still remains today: Cait Shelter," Midnight explained.

"They are the only people in existence with the power to seal Nirvana once more. Therefore the Nirvit bloodline must end. You'd have to be insane to let an incredible power like this go to waste. We will utilize it. We will send the world screaming down the path to sweet chaos. And we will start by making Cait Shelter an example. The Nirvits wanted to stay neutral; we will force them into bloody war. Nirvana will turn their hearts into the blackest pitch imaginable and then they'll slaughter each other.

"Oh what a lullaby it will be!"

"You heartless monster!" Jellal growled.

"Do me a solid and drop the goodie-goodie act already. It's kind of a drag," Midnight stated. "After all your heart's so black, mine shines nest to yours. One could say that you're the very embodiment of darkness."

"That's a lie!" Jellal argued.

 _Poor bugger doesn't even know the hell he has caused others. I can't help but pity him_ James thought as he struggled to his feet. _It will probably kill both him and Erza should he ever regain his memory._

"Be proud of yourself. You forced children into slave labor, murdered your closest friend, and even tried to kill sweet Erza in your mad rise for the greatest power in existence," Midnight continued. Jellal just knelt there stunned and in disbelief.

"Do you have any idea how many innocent people you've brought sorrow upon? They've all feared you, trembled at your name. An entire ocean of tears was shed from the suffering you caused. You inspire me." Midnight offered Jellal his hand. "So why don't you join us? You are destined to become the newest member of the Oración Seis."

"I think I've heard enough," James growled as he got to his feet. Gone was his armor as he reached down and pulled Erza to her feet.

"The light inside you is brighter than ever before," Erza argued. She Requipped into a revealing purple kimono with a plunging neckline that revealed her amble chest, had a dark sash around her waist, and flared out into a petal like skirt, and wielded a bisentō.

"Wow, I'm surprised you can stand," Midnight commented.

"Ready to finish this guy?" James asked. Erza nodded.

"I get my real fight after all. Wonderful." His eyes went wide as his pupils went to pinpricks. "Destroying you two will be a treat."

Erza twirled her bisentō before aiming it at Midnight. "I swear on the sacred blade I wield I end this chaos and your life."


	32. Zero

**AN: Sorry again for taking so long to update. School and work have me swamped. But I will try and continue. Enjoy and Review.**

* * *

 **Zero**

"Wow, I'm surprised you can stand. I get my real fight after all. Destroying you will be a treat."

"I swear on this sacred blade I wield, I will end this chaos and your life too."

"Come on Erza, or should I call you Titania?" I want to see your strength with my own two eyes, but I won't feel it because if you think you can lay a single hit on me you must be dreaming," Midnight taunted. He, James, and Erza were facing off again after Midnight had revealed the origin of Nirvana and Oración Seis' first target, Cait Shelter.

"Mind if I take the first hit?" James inquired.

"Be my guest," Erza said. James surged forward, moving incredibly fast despite not being in his armor. Midnight ducked and dodged his fists before using his Relector Magic to blast James away and cause him pain. Erza quickly took her turn swinging her bisentō at Midnight with a speed that was impossible to follow.

Not a single strike landed on Midnight but the buildings behind him erupted into dust as pieces fell off, cut by Erza's blade.

"You could be the fastest person who ever lived but you'd still never break through my Reflector," Midnight taunted. Erza pulled up right on his left side and swung her bisentō, but Midnight seemed to turn intangible and the blade just passed right through him, the attacks instead impacting on the buildings behind him.

"It's useless."

Erza then slammed her open palm into Midnight sending him flying. James appeared right behind him, slammed his leg into Midnight, and sent the Dark Mage flying into a building.

"You hit me?" Midnight gasped.

"There are two," Erza said holding up two fingers on her left hand. "Two crucial weaknesses in your defense magic."

"Although it's true you possess the power to bend weapons and even Magic Attacks, you cannot use that ability to manipulate the human body," James said. "If you could then surely you'd attack us directly then simply twisting our armor."

"Isn't that right?" Erza asked.

"Maybe." Midnight got to his feet and threw his palm out towards the duo. "But why would it matter?" He grabbed Erza in his magic and started to contort her clothing. She seemed unfazed though, even as she dropped her weapon. Her bisentō returned to the pocket dimension where she stored her weapons and armor. "I can use all those lovely clothes you wear to squeeze you until you pop as fast or slowly as I want."

"So that's one weakness. One more," Erza stated calmly. James smirked and then surged forward. Midnight's eyes went wide as he was forced to divert his attention from Erza to James. He wasn't fast enough however as James managed to slug him across the face and slam Midnight back into the building.

"When you were twisting our armors, you dodged our attacks. Why didn't you just bend them around you? It's because you're only able to control one space at a time. Either the space around your enemy or around yourself, but not both at once," James continued.

"So while your Bending Spell is active on me, you're practically defenseless. Completely unable to deploy your Reflector Magic to repeal an attack that's coming right for you," Erza concluded. "Once more, this is my Infinity Robe Armor, by far the most elastic in my collection and immune to your spell." With a cry of exertion she broke out of Midnight's hold and Requipped her bisentō.

"Heh, I suppose you could consider this armor a third weakness."

James smirked and calmly walked over to her. He turned to see Midnight beating his fists again the ground in a tantrum.

"No! It's too late!"

"You're right about that," James stated. He reengaged the right arm of his Jaeger armor and flexed his fingers. "This battle is over."

Midnight started laughing at that.

"That's not what I meant. Too late for you. You should have let me beat you before midnight; before you saw the true face of terror. You missed your only chance to rest in peace."

A look of confusion came over James face while shock covered Jellal's and Erza's. Somewhere in the distance a mournful bell tolled.

"What is that?" Erza asked slightly scared.

"A bell," Jellal whispered.

"Tolling the midnight hour," Midnight stated as he staggered to his feet. A blood-red Magic Circle appeared above him and his voice took on a sinister double-tone. "That's right when the clock strikes midnight my powers reach their terrifying peak!" His body started to twist and bubble as he laughed manically. The air filled with a bloody haze and the light turned the same blood-red color.

Midnight, himself, turned into his hulking purple-skinned demon with red snake-like eyes. His body bulged with muscles and he now towered over the Fairy Tail wizards. His mouth was gaping wide and filled with razor sharp teeth. Long black hair fell down his back.

"What is he?" Erza breathed.

"You could have prevented this for happening," Midnight taunted. He lifted his hands above his head and a ball of dark energy formed there. He tossed the ball and it detonated into a massive blast of energy.

"Erza!" James cried as she was flung from him. Midnight towered over them as he surveyed the damage he had wrought, his footsteps leaving craters in the ground.

"Jellal," Midnight growled. He opened his mouth and a hand erupted from it and grabbed Jellal. "Your reign was based on a lie. There was no freedom in the Tower of Heaven." Midnight then swallowed Jellal's struggling form. James used the distraction to find Erza.

"Leave him to me. Jaeger should be able to defeat this demon," James said.

"Even after the uprising I was too afraid to sleep at night," Midnight continued.

"What?" Erza gasped. "You were there? All of you were there in the Tower? That must have been what Cobra meant."

"Don't be so smug Titania! You're just a guilty as he is!" Midnight jumped up into the air and brought down his fist to try and crush the two. Erza shoved James aside and blocked the strike with her bisentō. She barely held him off.

"While everyone suffered you turned your back for all those years! And now you've reunited with Jellal, the one who caused your friends so much pain. You're just like him! In fact you're more even more at fault because you could have stopped it and you didn't. Just ask them!"

Erza gasped as she turned around to see copies of Simon and an older man.

"Grampa Rob. Simon," Erza cried.

"Enough!" Midnight gasped as a black spiked fist slammed into his face. "You want a demon; I'll show you a demon." Mignight staggered to his feet to see a black towering mech above him, Götterdämmerung.

"Jellal forced Erza to leave! She had no choice or he would have killed those she cared about!" James roared, his voice taking on the demonic tones of his black mech. James grabbed Midnight, dragged him to his feet, and then slammed his fist into Midnight again, forcing the Dark Mage to the ground.

 _Yes, make him bleed for hurting your TItania!_ The dark voice in his head whispered. For the moment, James followed its advice.

"No one gets to make Erza cry!" James roared. He slammed his fists into Midnight repeatedly. Finally, after forcing the demonic form of Midnight into a deep crater did James realize something was wrong. The demon was hazy, not really solid. Midnight was suspended in the middle of it.

 _It's an illusion_ James realized. He brought back his fist one last time and drove it straight into Midnight. The illusions collapsed and James reverted back to human form. The bells stopped tolling as Midnight drew ragged breaths. James stood over him with a grim expression.

"My illusion failed me. You saw right through it," Midnight groaned.

"Another weakness is not knowing that my Mechs are immune to visual magic. You can't fool a machine," James stated.

"No, I've lost. But I'm the strongest one. I'm the ultimate member of the Oración Seis. Even stronger than my father. No one could touch me. I'm supposed to be the greatest wizard that's ever lived." Tears started to pour down Midnight's face and James almost felt sorry for the guy.

"Someone who can mock the suffering of others so callously has a very long way to go to achieve greatness," James stated before turning and walking away.

"All I ever wanted… My prayer… my prayer was to one day find a quiet place and finally sleep in peace," Midnight whispered as he reached for the sky. "Father…"

"If you truly desire greatness, you must first know what makes you weak and more importantly live with an open heart," Erza stated.

"That's the last of the Oración Seis," James stated. "Shouldn't this thing have stopped moving or something?"

"I'm not sure. We may still have to reach the central tower," Erza said.

"You know anything?" James asked Jellal.

"Unfortunately, no."

James nodded and the three started towards the central tower. They didn't get far before the base of the tower exploded again.

"We'd better hurry," Erza said. The three took off running, desperate to the tower. Jellal grasped his chest soon after though as the exertion got to him again.

"Can you go on?" Erza asked with slight concern.

"Yeah," Jellal hissed. "I can manage."

"Quit the tough guy routine," James sighed. He then slipped under Jellal's arm and helped him.

"Forgive me," Erza whispered. "Seems I've blinded by my drive to stop Nirvana. You're badly hurt and almost all your magic power has been spent in battle. I need to be mindful of the state your in."

"That's kind, but don't worry about me. I unleashed Nirvana world and I must do everything in my power to send it back. I have no other choice."

"Hey, if you two want to get a room, I'll pay for it," James growled as he shifted Jellal's weight on his shoulder. '"ust know I'll beat you within an inch of your life afterwards for stealing Erza, Jellal."

Erza then came over and slugged James in the head, but gave him a slight smile.

"Way to ruining the mood," Erza said.

"Socially awkward is my game," James grinned. "Now come on, we got a weapon to destroy."


	33. From Pegasus to Fairies

**From Pegasus to Fairies**

James readjusted Jellal's weight as they moved along with Erza to reach the central tower of Nirvana. The trio had just beaten Midnight, but Nirvana remained active and heading towards Cait Shelter.

"I found you!"

Erza turned to see a certain little blue-haired Dragon Slayer running towards them, her flying white cat in tow. James gave a slight smile knowing she was safe. He set Jellal down as Wendy drew near.

"Look who's here!" Erza said with a smile and lighthearted tone. "I was worried about you. You okay?"

"Yeah," Wendy nodded. She then turned towards Jellal. "It's good to see you."

"Do I know you?" He asked with slight confusion. Wendy gasped and became crestfallen.

"It isn't personal," James said resting his hand on Wendy's shoulder. "He's lost his memory. He doesn't remember any of us."

"Oh," Wendy breathed. "Hi then, I'm Wendy Marvell."

"Wendy Marvell?" Jellal breathed. "Sorry, but I don't know you."

"You've lost your memory?" Carla cried indignant. "If that's the case then you've forgotten how to stop Nirvana haven't you!"

"No! I tried!" Jellal argued. He sighed and then a more determined look came over him. "I failed. My Self-Destruction Magic Circle didn't work. There's nothing more I can do now. I'm sorry."

"What'll we do?" Wendy asked scared.

"You can't give up that easily!" Carla screamed. "Our Guild is in danger of being destroyed at any moment! Don't turn your back on our comrades. There must be something we can do!"

A thunderous roar boomed in the distance as the ground began to shake. That got everyone's attention real quick.

"What was that?" Erza demanded.

Behind them a massive glowing spiral could be seen on the front of Nirvana. It glowed with a dark purple light and absorbed the very light around it.

"Not good," James breathed. He took off running towards a nearby overlook. His blood froze when he saw Cait Shelter in the distance.

"What's going on?" Erza cried. "So much light and magic power!" She gasped as the truth hit her. "He's going to fire Nirvana!"

"No!" Wendy shrieked.

With a baritone boom that could be felt in their bones, Nirvana fired. A dense beam of dark light with tendrils swirling around it shot out towards Cait Shelter. The sinister, insane laughter of the culprit could be heard in the distance. The five members of the Coalition watched on in desperation as the beam neared the Guild Hall.

Suddenly a beam of energy erupted through the clouds, struck a support leg for Nirvana, jarring the weapon. The beam narrowly missed the Guild Hall, striking only one of the ears on the cat-head-shaped hall.

Several more energy blasts impacted Nirvana and the weapon shut down. The city rocked and shook with the force of the impacts causing the wizards to grab ahold of each other and the nearest sturdy object.

"Well, I'll be damned," James breathed as he looked up for the source of the attacks. Emerging from the clouds came the remnants of the Magic Bomber Christina. It had seen better days. One wing was now made of ice; it was missing some landing gear; and the armor around her primary cannon was missing, exposing the infrastructure.

"Oh, wow!" Wendy cried.

"The Magic Bomber Christina saves the day," Erza breathed.

"Is it an ally?" Jellal asked.

The gang then tensed up as they felt someone make a telepathic connection to them all.

"Do you read me?" Hibiki cried out. "Someone, anyone, respond! Please let me know that you're okay."

"We're breathing," James replied.

"Erza, Wendy, James, good to know you're alive and well," Hibiki stated, ignoring James' sarcasm.

"In case you were wondering, I'm alive but not quite well," Ichiya replied.

"Master Ichiya, glad to hear it," Hibiki replied.

"I can't believe it. I never expected to see the Magic Bomber fly again," Erza said.

"Nor did I," Carla said. "Certainly not after watching the Oración Seis shoot her down."

"How did you get her flying again?" Wendy asked out of curiosity.

"Hard work," was the simple reply. "And lots of it. For a group of wizards who barely know each other, we're pretty good at working together to get the job done. Christina lost one of her wings when she was shot down so Lyon's using his Ice Make Magic to replace it.

"On the bow, Sherry's combining her Marionette Magic with Ren's Air Magic to keep the damaged hull intact. Our attack on Nirvana was thanks to Eve's Snow Magic."

"Thank you so much," Carla said, gratitude chocking her voice.

"I used it to fuse a couple of Christina's Magic Bombs together. When fired they did very little damage to Nirvana even though they're so powerful. That took of the last of my magic energy," Eve sighed before his connection was lost.

"We owe you one," Erza said.

"Even if those bombs didn't do much they saved the guild," James breathed.

"Because of you, my guild is safe. Thank you," Wendy said, ears glistening in her eyes.

"I'm sure you can tell… everyone here is running low on magic energy right now. I'm afraid we can't attack from the ship anymore. Powers too low. Just flying this far was hard enough. Don't worry we're going to be fine," Hibiki explained. "Listen up. There's one last thing; a little bit of good news:

"I've finally found what I've been looking for in the Archive. I know how to stop Nirvana!"

"Then spill it," James growled. "It's only a matter of time before whoever's in command recharges the primary cannon and fires again."

"You know the six appendages we thought were legs? Well, they aren't. They're pipes. Apparently they suck magic energy out of the earth which then is used to power Nirvana. At the base of each leg is a lacrima that controls the supply of magic energy. From what I understand if all six lacrima are destroyed simultaneously, it will wreak havoc on Nirvana's control system therefore forcing it to shut down. They must be destroyed at once or the other five will simply repair the damaged one."

"Simultaneously destroy six lacrima?" James stated incredulous.

"How do we do that?" Erza demanded.

"If I could I'd maintain telepathy to time out the strike. Try this: I'll give each of you a synced timer," Hibiki suggested. Above the wizards appeared a download bar. It slowly filled up as Hibiki said, "I'm uploading it to you now. But listen it has to be precise."

"Twenty minutes?" Wendy asked.

"That's when Nirvana will be fully charged and ready to fire again," Hibiki explained.

"We have to destroy all six," Erza stated.

"At once," Jellal added.

"Man," Ichiya groaned.

"If anybody can do it, it's you guys," Hibiki said. "I have faith in you."

"Care wager a bet?" a sinister and dark voice came over the connection.

"Whose that?" Lyon cried.

"Who are you?" Erza demanded.

"It's that creepy Brain guy!" Wendy explained.

"How was he able to hijack my telepathy?" Hibiki wondered.

"I am Zero, Master of the Oración Seis! Brain is no more," Zero stated.

"I didn't know those boneheads had a master," Ren quipped.

"First of all allow me to commend you: You fooled me. I'd never suspected there would be other wizards capable of Archive Magic like Brain," Zero stated.

"He used Archive?" Hibiki asked. "That must have been how he found out about Nirvana in the first place."

"Now head my words wizards of Light!" Zero roared. "I am going to obliterate everything you hold dear! I've already begun by destroying three of your little friends! A Dragon Slayer, an Ice Wizard, and a Celestial Wizard. Hahahaha! And a cat."

"He got Natsu and the others!" Hibiki cried.

"What they ever do to you?" Wendy demanded.

"Did I hear you say something about destroying Nirvana's lacrima simultaneously? Well you can try but I'm standing right in front of one of them and I have no intention of leaving. Hahahaha! As long as I'm here it will be impossible to destroy all six at once!"

"Our telepathic connection's been cut off," Hibiki explained.

Erza slammed her fist into her open palm as a look of pure desperation came over her. James stood next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"We can do this. Come on, we're Fairy Tail wizards and nothing is impossible for us," James whispered to her. That brought a glimmer of hope to her eyes.

"We must split up and hope that we all strike at the same time," Jellal explained. "Each wizard has a one in six chance of running into Zero. Only James and Erza though have any real chance of beating him."

"Excuse me! I think you're forgetting something!" Carla cried. "Like basic math! We don't have enough wizards with enough magic energy to go through with this plan!"

"But that means!" Wendy gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Oh no. I can't fight! I'm sorry! I can't help you!" She bowed in apology to the others.

"We can't do it on our own," Erza stated. "Is there anyone else strong enough to help us?"

"Yes, my honey," Ichiya called out over the connection.

A tic formed in James' right eye.

"I'm abled-bodied and at your service. Although, I'm tied up right now," Ichiya explained.

"Master Ichiya," Hibiki said. "That's four. Who else?" A slight cry of pain could be heard over the connection. "Hey, I'm almost out of energy. We got to hurry you guys."

"We just need two more! There's got to be someone else!" Erza cried. "Can anyone help?"

"Christina's losing altitude!" Wendy cried. The ice wing shattered and the Bomber started to break apart and lose altitude even faster.

"Grey get up!" Lyon groaned over the connection. "Think of Ur. Don't let her down. You must keep fighting. Don't let these guys get the best of you."

"I've always hated you Lucy. You think you're so cute," Sherry said. "You know you'll never compare to me. You're an air-headed crybaby. There's one thing I can say: you always give it your all. I never thought I would really care whether you died, but I was wrong, Lucy. You have to respond."

"Natsu," Wendy cried.

"Respond tomcat," Carla said begrudgingly.

"Get up!" James roared. "You are Fairy Tail wizards! We'd stand against the whole world if that was what it would take to protect our friends! We are not going to let a bunch of scum beat us down and win! Now get up!"

Slowly the rest of the wizards could feel the others regain consciousness and join the connection.

"Can you hear our voices? If you can, please, respond!" Hibiki cried.

"Yeah, we hear you," Natsu finally growled.

"Natsu," Hibiki breathed.

"Destroy all six lacrima at one time," Grey stated letting the others know they were in on the plan.

"So who's fighting Zero? Cause we'd like another crack at him. Right, boys?" Lucy said.

"Eighteen minutes left," Happy reminded everybody. "We've got to hurry. We owe it to Carla and Wendy to protect their guild!"

"Guys, my telepathy is about to cut out. A while ago I uploaded a map to your minds. I numbered the lacrima so you could find them. Everybody chose a number and then split up," Hibiki ordered.

"Alright. We'll handle the lacrima, you just focus on getting that piece of flying wreckage on the ground safely," James stated.

"I'll take one!" Natsu cried.

"Two," Gray stated.

"Guess I'll take three," Lcuy said. "Please don't let Zero be there."

"Then I shall take number four. I can tell it's closest to me thanks to the smell of its perfume," Ichiya said.

"You mean because you see it one the map? "Erza said.

"My honey, why do you insist on making a fool out of me?" Ichiya cried.

"I can take number five," Erza stated.

"Erza guess you're feeling better huh?" Natsu said.

"Yeah, it's all thanks to you guys." Erza smiled down at Wendy and the little girl blushed.

"That leaves me with six," James stated. Jellal made a motion to speak but Erza quickly shut him up.

"Natsu hasn't been made aware of your situation yet; he still thinks you're the enemy so try to keep quiet," Erza explained.

"He's not the only one who's not too hot about this idea either," James muttered under his breath earning a glare from Erza.

Jellal nodded in understanding and remained silent.

Christina finally crashed into the ground and the connection was lost.

"We have six wizards now. Let's get the ball rolling," Carla exclaimed. The others nodded.

"Jellal, you're with me. Some buddy's got to keep an eye on you," James stated. "Wendy you can either go with us or Erza."

"I think I'll go with you guys," Wendy stated. James nodded and then turned to Erza. He gave her a quick kiss and said, "Good luck."

"I'm betting Zero's at lacrima number one," Erza said.

"But that's where Natsu's headed!" Wendy cried.

James felt Jellal stiffen next to him.

"Little buggar's got a nose like no other," James stated. "He must have chosen knowing Zero was going to be there."

"We got to get over there and help!" Wendy demanded. "If we work together-"

"Don't underestimate Natsu," Erza said. "Try not to worry. He can handle himself."

"I still don't like it. The kid was unconscious till two minutes ago," James stated. "Someone clearly beat his ass into the ground."

"Natsu," Jellal growled under this breath. James glanced at him concerned.

"Let's split up and get to our posts," Erza stated. Jellal seemed to jolt back to reality causing Erza to stop.

"Something wrong?" James asked with a hint of menace in his voice.

"No, I'm fine," Jellal growled. He started off and James and Wendy followed after him.

James and Jellal ran as fast as they could to reach Lacrima One. They could hear people fighting ahead.

"You better know what you're doing," James growled.

"I know you have no reason to trust me, but for the sack of Cait Shelter you have to just this once," Jellal stated.

"Fine. But if you betray us, it won't just be Erza you have to worry about cutting out your heart."

"I am surprised to find you were able to stop a piercing spell," Zero stated calmly. His eyes were bloodred, and his silver hair was wavy and fell to his shoulders. He wore an olive green jacket with a black pattern that broke up its outline starting at the bottom of his chest. He wore blue, fur-trimmed pants similar to the ones Brain was wearing and combat boots.

As Jellal and James reached the door way, Jellal fired a fireball at Natsu. It packed enough punch to blast the Dragon Slayer back.

"Whose there?" Zero demanded. He spotted Jellal who regarded the two combatants with cold, arrogant distain.

"Jellal!" Natsu snarled.

"Well hello," Zero said in his deep raspy voice. "I take it your memory has returned?"


	34. The Power of Feelings

**AN: Please read and review. I appreciate any Constructive feedback.**

* * *

 **The Power of Feelings**

James and Jellal ran as fast as they could to reach Lacrima One. They could hear people fighting ahead.

"You better know what you're doing," James growled.

"I know you have no reason to trust me, but for the sake of Cait Shelter you have to just this once," Jellal stated.

"Fine. But if you betray us, it won't just be Erza you have to worry about cutting out your heart."

"I am surprised to find you were able to stop a piercing spell," Zero stated calmly. His eyes were bloodred, and his silver hair was wavy and fell to his shoulders. He wore an olive green jacket with a black pattern that broke up its outline starting at the bottom of his chest. He wore blue, fur-trimmed pants similar to the ones Brain was wearing and combat boots.

As Jellal and James reached the door way, Jellal fired a fireball at Natsu. It packed enough punch to blast the Dragon Slayer back.

"Whose there?" Zero demanded. He spotted Jellal who regarded the two combatants with cold, arrogant distain. James wore the same expression as he shut down in preparation for battle. James' magic didn't work well with emotions; he had to shut down and find a sense of deep calm to fight. Given how powerful Zero seemed, James was going to need to be at his best.

"Jellal!" Natsu snarled.

"Well hello," Zero said in his deep raspy voice. "I take it your memory has returned?"

"Yes," Jellal answered simply.

"You shouldn't have come here," Natsu groaned as he struggled back to his feet. He roared as he charged Jellal. The former Dark Wizard raised his hand and said, "Stop," as he fired another blast of fire at Natsu.

"Did you forget flames don't work on me!" Natsu growled as he batted away the fire.

"Yes, briefly, but I remembered just in time," Jellal stated. "Only you can stop Zero."

"What?" Zero snapped.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but as a Fire Dragon Slayer, doesn't the power of flame amplify your magic?" Jelllal inquired. Natsu stood there dumbfounded as he glanced at the fire that currently enveloped him.

"Yeah that's true but why?" Natsu asked confused.

"Liar!" Zero growled. "Judging by your actions, your memory has not been restored."

"I didn't lie to you; only my memories of Natsu have returned. I'll stop Nirvana. Whether or not the rest of my memories return will not affect my goal," Jellal explained.

"I don't get it. What happened to you?" Natsu asked.

"When I awoke, it was like my memory had been completely wiped clean. Though I have no recollection of being like a vile cretin, it seems that was the case. I brought harm upon not only you, Erza, and James, but upon all of Fairy Tail. It's time to make amends. I want to help you to protect Wendy's guild; I want to help you stop Nirvana. I know we can do it as long as we work together!" Jellal stated.

"I don't believe you!" Natsu roared as he jumped at Jellal to slug him. James, who had been still until now, suddenly snapped out his arm to block Natsu's strike.

"Get out of the way," Natsu growled. "Why are you protecting him?"

"Because, for the moment, he is an ally and he has done nothing as of yet to prove otherwise," James said. He leveled a deadly glare upon Natsu, daring him to continue. It was the look of a cold calculating warrior who would take on any who stood in his way. Ally or enemy.

"Natsu, please, just accept the flames I gave you and move on!" Jellal pleaded. Natsu snarled and tried to get at Jellal again. Again James stood in his way. Natsu growled but backed down when he saw the cold, merciless look in James' eyes.

"You may have forgotten what happened in the past, but I still remember. Everything!" Natsu growled quietly at Jellal. "I will never forget that you made Erza cry!"

"How pathetic," Zero shook his head. "If you're going to argue must you do it in front of me?" He fired a tendril composed of dark green energy wrapped in spiked red energy. "Quit wasting my time!"

Jellal quickly jumped in front of the blast before James could bring up his armor or Natsu could even move. Natsu watched in utter shock as Jellal then collapsed in agony.

"Why Jellal?" Natsu demanded.

"Just go ahead and kill me if that's what you have to do," Jellal panted. "I'm already battered and torn to shreds. But first let me give you the power you need to defeat him."

"Nobody gets to kill you but Erza. So get that notion out of your head. Give Natsu what he needs and let's end this already," James stated lowly. Jellal nodded and held up his hand summoning a glowing yellow flame. James walked towards Zero as Jellal and Natsu continued to have their moment.

"Wow, I've never seen such a golden flame," Natsu breathed.

"This is the Flame of Rebuke," Jellal explained.

"Well, while they're having their moment, how about I entertain you?" James asked Zero.

"Please do," Zero smirked.

James cracked his neck before surging forward, his armor encasing him as he moved. He threw a hard right, his fist encased in his Kleine Jaeger armor. Zero easily blocked it, but James followed up by slamming his left fist into Zero's gut. The impact sent Zero flying, but he regained his footing and only slide a few inches along the ground. Zero fired a blast of dark energy, but James knocked it aside with his forearm before slamming his fist into Zero's abdomen.

Snarling, Zero drove his elbow into the back of James' armored head, forcing him to the ground. Zero then kicked James across the room.

* * *

 **Earlier…**

"What's the matter? Are you not feeling well?" Wendy asked Jellal. James, Wendy, Carla, and Jellal had stopped atop a bridge on their way to Lacrima Six because Jellal was in pain.

"I'm fine," Jellal insisted. "Forgive me if I'm wrong but don't you use Healing Magic? Natsu's going to face Zero, so he's going to need his energy replenished. Think you can do that for him?"

"I'll try," Wendy said without much confidence.

"Do you have any idea how draining using her Healing Magic can be and how many times this poor girl has had to use it today? I'm sorry but I'm putting my foot down!" Carla scolded Jellal.

"It doesn't have to be much. I'm heading over to Lacrima One instead. Jellal can handle Lacrima Six instead of me," James explained.

"It's fine. I can replenish his energy myself," Jellal said. James glared at him.

"Hear me out: I've regained a memory, a memory about what makes this Natsu fellow so special. He holds the power of hope," Jellal said. "I know it's a lot to ask, but we need you to destroy Lacrima Number Six for us."

"The girl is a Support Wizard. Her magic isn't designed for combat," James explained. "She can't destroy the last lacrima!"

"She's a Dragon Slayer! Her magic is so powerful it was once used against the most terrifying dragons in the land!" Jellal rebuked him. "Consume the air. No, the heavens. Release the power of the dragon that lies dormant within you."

"I'll do my best," Wendy nodded.

* * *

"What's the Flame of Rebuke?" Natsu inquired.

"I'm not asking you to grant forgiveness, all I want is to give you strength because I believe in you. Erza trusts you and so I shall as well. You and James have to defeat Zero and bring down Nirvana."

Natsu took the Flames of Rebuke and they engulfed his body.

Zero spared a glance at Natsu as he stalked towards James. "You've made a grave mistake. By eating the Flame of Rebuke, you now share the sins of your mortal enemy."

"A couple of sins ain't going to scare me. Everyone in Fairy Tail's got their share. But the real sin is turning your back on someone when they just want to help especially when they give the power to fight evil!" Natsu surged forward, slammed into Zero, grabbed him and then full-body threw him into the far wall.

Zero snarled and unleashed his energy attack again. James deflected the attack by backhanding it, though the force of the strike dented his arm. Natsu used the opening to charge Zero and unleashed a fury of punches and jabs. Zero managed to get in a brutal kick and then a vicious backhand that send Natsu flying. James stepped in and unleashed his own series of brutal punches.

"Fist of the War Monger!"

"Fire Dragon Roar!"

James set Zero flying into the air and then Natsu's fire blast sent the leader of Oración Seis flying into the ceiling fifty feet above their heads.

"So much power," Zero moaned. "No it couldn't be… Dragon Force."

James glanced over towards Natsu and was impressed to see the boy engulfed in golden flames, the afterimage of a dragon imposed over him. His skin was becoming scaled and a fierce and determined look was in his eyes. Zero struggled to get out of the crater he had fallen into as Natsu looked over his new power.

"Oh, man, it's like when I ate all that Etherion. Awesome; it feels like my strengths been doubled, maybe even tripled," Natsu breathed.

"I'd never think you'd have it," Zero growled. "Dragon Force is the final form of Dragon Slayer Magic. From what I understand it gives a Slayer destructive power comparable that of the most formidable dragon." A wicked smile came over Zero's face. "I'm intrigued. So show me!"

"Sure you want me to do that?" Natsu asked.

"Yes. Let's see the Dragon's power!" Zero gloated.

"Alright but I warned ya!" Natsu charged and his and Zero's energy exploded when they collided. Forced apart, James interceded and laid into Zero while he was off-balance. Natsu joined back in when James ducked under a strike of Zero's. Together the two forced Zero up against the pillar holding the lacrima in place.

Snarling Zero forced both wizards back with a quick energy blast. He slammed his palms into the ground and caused the floor to crack. The floor gave way and both James and Natsu started to fall. James deactivated his Jaeger armor and quickly changed over to his Valkyrie. He grabbed Natsu and ducked into one of the lower floors.

"Don't tell me I've already beaten the mighty Dragon Slayer," Zero taunted above them.

"Yikes that was close," Natsu breathed as he looked down. Zero's attack had broken clean though five floors and out the bottom of Nirvana. "Thanks for saving me."

"Worry about Zero. We need to keep laying into him. We don't have much time left before we need to destroy the lacrima," James stated. "I may need to initiate Götterdämmerung to defeat him."

Before the two could strategize further, dozens of green tendrils impacted around them causing them to move deeper inside Nirvana. Zero chased after them with a maniacal grin. He summoned another green and red energy tendril and wielded it like a whip. The ground shattered beneath Natsu and James' feet knocking them off-balance. Zero pressed his attack forcing the two Wizards of Light to jump around like a bunch of rabbits.

"Fire Dragon Roar."

"Beschuss!

Natsu unleashed a massive fire ball while James fired a cannon he had quickly summoned from his Panzer armor. Both attacks impacted and blasted back Zero momentarily. But the brute quickly shrugged off the attacks and burst forth from the smoke. His right fist glowed with green energy. Natsu barely blocked the strike while James reengaged his Jaeger armor.

However Zero gave them no reprieve. He fired green energy disks that chased after Natsu and James detonating whenever they hit something. One caught up with Natsu and knocked him to the ground. Zero then fired another blast of his dark energy blast. James quickly jumped in front of it and took the attack full on. It threw him into the ceiling before he crashed back into the ground. Natsu ran to help him, but Zero just bombarded the two with magic attacks.

As the smoke cleared both laid in the rubble, weak, bruised, and battered. James' armor was nearly destroyed and Natsu's Dragon Force had dissipated. Zero growled over the both of them and then proceeded to kick both in the ribs in turn.

"Is that the best your Dragon Force can do?" Zero snarled. "Dragons once ruled this world and _that's_ the extent of their power! You're a travesty!" He turned to James. "And you! The boy who wields machines! I expected more from the man who destroyed the Tower of Heaven single-handedly. The boy who destroyed entire villages in his youth."

Fed up with the two, Zero walked away. "You cannot defeat the master of the Oración Seis. I am more powerful than lowly guild wizards like you could ever hope to be."

"Stick it buddy," James snarled. He and Natsu struggled to their feet.

"It's a shame you're friends aren't here to help you two, because you don't stand a chance against me on your own!" Zero gloated.

"We're not on our own," Natsu panted. "Everyone's reaching out to us. I can hear them loud and clear. I hear everyone's voices and they're telling me that no matter what I can't give up the fight. They're what keeps us going. They're the only reason we're still standing." Golden energy started to envelop him as he gathered his strength for one last blow.

"What he said," James groaned as he ripped off the tatters of his shirt revealing the blue Fairy Tail emblem on the right side of his chest. Around him started to glow a purple aura. Lightning crackled around him as a Magic Circle appeared at his feet.

"They're so strong. I can feel my friends' determination. They're strength pulsating through me!" Natsu roared. The golden aura around him had become incredibly bright.

"I just want to punch your lights out Zero. That's all that's keeping me going," James growled. He straightened as his body slowly became enveloped in his accursed black armor. "This ends now."

"Since I have no need for either of you, I shall release my ultimate spell and return you to the nothingness from once you came!" Zero sneered.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Flame Lotus Exploding Flame Blade!"

"Götterdämmerung: Twilight of the Gods!"

"Genesis Zero! Now to the depths of nothingness with you!"


	35. I'm With You

**I'm With You**

"History will come to an end before my eyes. A new era of nothingness shall be ushered in. Genesis Zero!" Zero unleashed his spell and hundreds of hands made of blackish purple energy surged towards Natsu and James. "Now open, portal of the Demon's Wave! Go travelers of the Void. I want you to consume these men and their memories. Consume their very existence. Devour them! Do it for the sake of your master!"

Dark shadowy beings swarmed James and Natsu completely overwhelming them and sucked them into endless void.

James groaned as he floated in the endless void. Completely deprived of his senses and low on magic energy, despair overwhelmed him.

 _I failed_ James thought. _I failed them. Erza, Wendy, Mom, Dad. I failed them all. I deserve this hell realm._

"Just how pathetic are you?"

James jolted into an upright position as suddenly felt his senses return to him. He glanced around for the source of that voice. He stiffened as he saw a shadowy figure standing nearby.

"You are James "Maschine" Price," the shadow continued in a deep rumbling voice. "Are you so pathetic as to let some mere shadows and darkness defeat you? Boy you were born from the dark! Made by it! Now embrace it and fight back!"

 _Who are you?_ James inquired. The shadow grabbed him by the throat and pulled James close.

"Someone who can't stand to see you lose. Now grow up and fight! If you die, I die!" The shadow being then threw James away and vanished. James frowned and tried not to think about who that man was. He made more important things to worry about.

Focusing on the dark energy around him, James slowly started to draw it in even as he was suddenly blinded by an overwhelming bright light.

Burning his way out of the void, Natsu destroyed Zero's void, saving him and James. Flames erupted around Natsu as his anger and emotions were running high. James quickly engaged his Götterdämmerung armor again and backed Natsu up. The Dragon Slayer slugged Zero in the face as he burst from the void. James followed it up with a kick to the abdomen.

"Twilight Bomb!" James roared as he drove his fist into Zero's gut. Dark energy blasted Zero into the air setting him up for Natsu's finishing blow.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus: Phoneix Sword!" Natsu erupted forth with almighty destructive force. He slammed into Zero and broke through several floors and then devastated the final lacrima. Nirvana promptly proceeded to disintegrate and break down.

"That was rough," Natsu groaned. "Who thought one lacrima would be so hard to break?" He rubbed his chin. "No more doubting myself; thank you Igneel."

James landed next to him in his Valkyrie armor. "We need to leave. Now. This place is coming down fast."

Natsu nodded and the two grabbed Jellal before the floor completely gave out.

"I'm a little overloaded and low on power so this is going to be really close," James growled. He tilted back as the three free-falled and went into a dive. Natsu and Jellal screamed in fear as James poured on the speed and swiftly dodged boulders by mere inches as they escaped. The three burst out of the bottom of Nirvana mere seconds before the bottom collapsed into the ground.

Pulling out of his steep dive, James gained altitude to search for the rest of his allies.

"You see them?" James asked.

Natsu's only reply was a moan as he tried to keep from barfing.

"You hurl and I _will_ drop you," James growled.

"Over there!" Jellal pointed. James spotted the clearing all the others were in and headed over. However, his magic cut out a few seconds before they could safely land. Screaming, the three landed in a heap on top of a large, heavily muscled man wearing nothing but a pair of severely ripped pants.

"Made it," James groaned.

"James!" Erza ran over and held him. He weakly hugged her back as the others had their happy reunions. Natsu was smothered by Wendy who thanked him excessively. Richard, formerly Hoteye, joined them and the group took a few minutes to regain their strength.

"Excellent work by all involved," Jura congratulated them all.

"I think it's time for a group hug!" Ichiya cried.

"Touch me and die," James growled. Erza smirked at the comment only she heard.

"Whose that?" Gray asked. He was glancing over at Jellal who had gone to sit by himself a ways from the Allied Forces. "Another pretty boy Blue Pegasus?"

"Wouldn't we have met him earlier?" Lucy stated.

"It's Jellal," Erza stated.

"Are you kidding me?" Gray cried.

"Leave him be," James said. "He's not the same menace we dealt with before."

"He's completely lost his memory!" Wendy added.

"I still don't think we can trust the guy," Gray growled.

"You can! I promise!" Wendy said standing up for the man. Erza and James headed over to talk to Jellal.

"I wanted to thank you. Honestly we couldn't have done it without your help," Erza said softly. James stood behind her and nodded. "You contributed a fair amount. Natsu wouldn't have been much use without that extra boost you gave him."

"Erza…" Jellal said. "That's not true. I didn't do anything worthy of such praise. Not at all."

Erza slide up next to Jellal as they leaned against a small cliff side. She squeezed James hand for some support. "So tell me, what will you do now?"

"Good question," Jellal breathed. "I wish I knew."

"It's alright. I'm sure you're not the only one in that position. Who knows what tomorrow might have in store," Erza said.

"A long nap and a massage," James smirked. "I am beat." Erza couldn't help but smirk and gave James' hand another quick squeeze.

"I'm afraid" Jellal stated after a few moments of silence.

"Of what?" James inquired.

"My memory. Of it returning." Jellal hugged himself tightly. James looked towards the stars before saying, "Don't be. You have Erza and me now to try and keep you in the light."

"We, I, still care about you," Erza said giving Jellal a warm smile.

"My handsome face!"

The three turned to see Ichiya pressed flat against an invisible barrier.

"Problem meathead?" Gray asked.

"I wanted to go make a letter of the alphabet but I ran into an invisible wall!" Ichiya exclaimed.

"Look there's weird writing on the ground," Wendy said. The group let out a collective gasp as they realized they were trapped.

"Not good," James growled. "Who's next to beat on us today?"

Suddenly the group was surrounded by men in blue and white robes: Rune Knights of the Magic Council.

"There is no need to panic, we mean you no harm," a man said as he emerged from the group. He had shoulder length black hair and wore square glasses. "Sorry about this but we were forced to do something to restrain you."

"Who are you?" Erza asked.

"I am the captain of the new Magic Council's Fourth Custody Enforcement Unit, Lahar, and this is my army," the man explained.

"There's a new Magic Council?" Gray breathed.

"It is my duty to uphold the law and preserve justice throughout the land! So all evil doers must be arrested!" Lahar stated proudly.

"What do you want? We have done nothing wrong," James stated moving in front of Lahar, or as close as the barrier would allow.

"I'm not here to arrest you," Lahar assured him. "I have been ordered to take the Oración Seis into custody. I ask that you please cooperate and hand over the operative codenamed Hoteye."

"No! Never!" Jura exclaimed.

"It's alright. I'll surrender," Hoteye said.

"Richard, why?" Jura inquired.

"I cannot fully embrace a life of virtue when my past transgressions continue to haunt me. This is my chance to atone for my sins. It's best for when I find my brother. That way I will have nothing to hide. Don't you agree?" Richard explained.

"Indeed. May I continue the search for your brother in your stead?" Jura asked.

"You do that?" Richard asked shocked.

"I'd be honored. I just need his name," Jura stated.

"Wally Buchanan," Richard said.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," James breathed looking at Erza. She stared back dumbfounded.

"I miss him dearly. He was a good kid. He was the best little brother a kid could ask for," Richard said as he reminisced. "We struggled to survive after losing both of our parents. It was a trying time. We worked diligently in the hope of growing vegetables in our meager garden. Unfortunately when it came time for the harvest, we were left disappointed.

"Even though many years have past since that day, I can still remember the taste of that potato."

"I know your brother, Richard," Erza said stepping forward.

"You do!"

"Yes. He's an old friend of mine. He's happily travelling the continent right now," Erza explained. Tears flowed from Richard's eyes at the happy news.

"All these years, I kept telling myself if I just stayed positive a miracle would happen and low and behold it has!" He fell to his knees in joy. "Thank you. Thank you." Two Rune Knights came over and gently helped him to his feet before leading him into their prisoner transport.

"We have one more objective," Lahar said. "A fiend who infiltrated and destroyed the Magic Council and fired the Etherion Cannon. A man more villainous than the Oración Seis, truly black of heart. I'm referring to you Jellal. Let's go. Know that if you resist we have explicit orders to kill you."

That caused several members to cry in outrage.

"He is a threat to society! He must be brought to justice!" Lahar cried.


	36. A Guild For One

**A Guild for One**

"Jellal Fernandes, you are hereby under arrest for crimes against the Kingdom," Lahar stated as two Rune Knight slapped magic inhibiting restraints on Jellal. The allied wizards stood in shock and disbelief. James felt Erza stiffen next to him. He reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her.

"Please don't!" Wendy cried. "It's not far! He doesn't even know what he's done! All his memories have been completely erased."

"Ignorance of one's crimes is no defense," Lahar argued. "Penal Code Section 13 states this explicitly. You remove the barrier now." A nearby knight nodded and the barrier around the wizards dropped.

"Hold on!" Wendy persisted.

"It's alright," Jellal smiled sadly. "I will not resist arrest. Please forgive me. I wish that I could remember you. I'm sorry that I cannot. Truly."

"When she was lost and alone, you found her wandering and saved her life," Carla explained.

"Did I? I am never know the harm I inflicted on you and countless others, but at least I know that at some point I helped one person," Jellal said. "Erza… I won't forget your kindness."

Erza tensed under James grip, her body shaking. The Rune Knights slowly guided Jellal towards the prison wagon. He stopped by Lahar so the captain could whisper some words to him, harsh by the looks of it.

"I will not let him go," Erza muttered under her breath. She started to move forward but Natsu got in the way.

"Hold it right there!" Natsu roared as he attacked the Rune Knights. Complete pandemonium broke out as Natsu tried to reach Jellal. More than a dozen Rune Knights were needed to barely restrain the Dragon Slayer. "He's one of us! That means he comes with us!"

"Subdue him!" Lahar ordered. Rune Knights charged forward but Gray, Jura, Ichiya, and Lucy all got involved in protecting Jellal.

"This is wrong!" Gray snapped.

"You'd punish him for the good deeds he did?" Jura asked.

 _You can stop this. They take him away and it will hurt Erza_ the dark voice in James head whispered. _You'd do anything to protect Erza,, right? Show them the Twilight. Unleash the darkness within!_

"This is your choice," James whispered to Erza. "If you decide to free him, I am behind you all the way. But you need to make a choice."

Lahar became more erratic as the wizards continued to fight, the madness reaching a peak as the several Allied wizards took down scores of Rune Knights.

"What will it be Erza?" James whispered.

 _Destroy them all!_

"That's enough!" Erza snapped. "Stop this at once!" She took a deep breath. "I apologize for this disturbance. It's gone too far. I'm the one to blame. Now please take him away."

Jellal gave a slight smirk.

"Why?" Natsu barked.

"Sit down!" James snapped. Natsu paled and immediately knelt on the ground.

"I remember…," Jellal gasped. "It was the color of your hair." With that he then disappeared into the prison transport. "Farwell old friend."

* * *

Erza relaxed next to James with a slight shudder. He held her close, her face buried in his chest as tears managed to escape her eyes.

James slowly made his way up the back of a cliff to find Erza sitting against the crumbling remains of an old wall. Tears poured openly from her eyes as she held herself closer. Without even saying a word, James sat next to her and pulled her into his lap. She gripped him like he was the last solid thing on earth and cried even harder. James ran his fingers through her scarlet hair and just let Erza cry.

The dawn arrived after what had been a long night and lit the sky with the most beautiful crimson color. James gently nudged Erza, her cheeks heavily stained, and her beautiful brown eyes weary. James motioned with his chin and felt her stiffen as she saw the beautiful sunrise.

"See there is still good and beauty in this world," James whispered. "The night is always darkest before the dawn, but if you keep looking you can find a glimmer of light."

Erza nodded and weakly wiped at the tears still in her eyes. James glanced over and saw Wendy spying on them. He gestured for her to come over and she slide right up to them. Together the three watched the sun rise as they shared in their pain.

* * *

James groaned as he walked around the Cait Shelter Guild. He was a little listless after the events of Nirvana. He was wearing new black pants and a black leather vest curtesy of the Cait Shelter mages. The others had been given new clothing as well to replace what the clothes that were damaged in battle. His ribs and arms were wrapped up in bandages, though he had come out a little better than some of the others.

He finally found his way to the center of the small village as the members of Cait Shelter and the Allied Coalition gathered for a final meeting, thanks, and celebration.

"Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, not to mention Wendy and Carla, I commend your efforts in not only defeating the Oración Seis, but saving our village from Nirvana's wrath. Speaking as a representative of our regional Guild League, I Roubaul, offer my deepest gratitude. Thank you," Roubaul said solemnly. He stood at the head of the group of Cait Shelter members. He wore a large headdress made of red-tipped purple feathers, a necklace made of large molars, and had a large white beard. In the center of his forehead was a red dot surrounded by two parentheses.

"Nabura. We are in your debt."

"We were happy to help, Master Roubaul," Ichiya exclaimed. "It was a hard won victory against a ferocious opponent but from the deepest, darkest depths of despair light shines down on us. It was the bright and warming glow of true friendship. We followed it all the way to victory."

 _I am going to kill that man._ James nursed the headache Ichiya was giving him. He gently held Erza's hand. She was wearing a blue two-piece dress. The skirt hung from her hips with a white sash, while a bikini top with attached long sleeves covered her top. A gold necklace rested atop her breasts and she let her hair fall down naturally.

"Hey we deserve a victory party!" Natsu cried.

"I think we should just go find somewhere quiet to relax," James whispered in Erza's ear. She gave him a sad smile and tightened her grip on his hand.

The celebratory mood was quickly killed by the sad and somber look on the faces of the Cait Shelter Guild members.

"I'm truly sorry. I've neglected my duty to tell you about the Nirvit people. Please accept my sincere apology," Roubaul said. "It is important. I ask that everyone listen very closely to the tale I am about to tell."

An ominous feeling descended upon the group.

"First, let me clear the air about something. The truth is we are not descendants of the Nirvit people. Indeed we are the Nirvits themselves. And many years ago, four hundred to be exact, Nirvana was created, fashioned by my own hands.

"I thought if my dream of Nirvana was made a reality I could end the ghastly wars tearing the world apart. I would do so by reversing the morality of those whose minds were set on the destruction of others. We made our home there and we took great joy in what we'd accomplished through peace. We were a shining beacon of light in a once dark and shadowy world.

"However, despite our best intentions we could not change the fact that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Nirvana had brought light to what was once a terrible darkness not by chasing it away but by absorbing it so to speak. The world yearns for balance and order. The light serves no purpose without the darkness and vice versa. Light is born from darkness and darkness is born from light. The two are forever intertwined."

 _Remember that when you reject me again. You need the darkness._

 _Who are you? Get out of my head!_ James snapped. He was getting sick of this voice. He thought that once Nirvana was destroyed these dark temptations would have gone away.

 _You'll find out soon enough._ The voice left with a sinister laughter.

"All the world's evil taken from those whose hearts were once consumed with it was transferred to the peace-loving Nirvit. It was a nightmare. Engulfed in rage and hatred, we slaughtered each other until no one was left standing.

"That's not quite true. For I am the only survivor. Then again, in this particular situation the word 'survivor' is a little misleading. In truth my body ceased to function many years ago. What you see before you now is a projection of the man I once was. As punishment for my sins, I this powerless spirit, have stood as sentinel over my creation for four hundred years, keeping my weary eyes open for the one who could at last destroy Nirvana and consign it to the pages of history.

"And now, my post can be vacated for that person has been found."

"No! Why didn't you tell me?" Wendy asked barely holding back tears.

Roubaul flashed with light for a second before slowly, one by one, the members of Cait Shelter started to dissolve into light.

"What's happening?" Wendy cried. "Don't go!"

"Everyone's disappearing" Hibiki breathed.

"Why are you doing this? Please stop!" Wendy demanded, tears flowing from her eyes.

"I've deceived you Wendy, for that I am deeply sorry," Roubaul said. "All your fellow Guild Members were specters; they were nothing but illusions."

"That takes powerful creation magic," Jura mused.

"For many years, I lived in this deserted village, alone, always keeping a watchful eye over Nirvana. Until one day, when a boy came to me with a companion needing help. His eyes burned with such intensity and sincerity that I simply had no choice but to take the little girl in. I had rescinded to a solitary existence but there she was. I filled the village with apparitions so she wouldn't be alone."

"So you created an entire guild just for Wendy?" Lucy asked.

"No one I cared for is a real person? How could you do something so cruel to me, Master?" Wendy shrieked.

"Don't fret my dear. Calm down. Neither you nor Carla need those imaginary friends." Roubaul pointed to the people gathered behind Wendy. "You are surrounded by real friends who care for you." He chuckled as he too turned into light. "A bright future awaits you. Embrace it with open arms!"

"Master!" Wendy cried as she ran towards the specter.

"To each and every one of you I owe my deepest gratitude. I know I can leave Wendy and Carla in your hands."

The final blow was Wendy's Guild Mark disappearing from her shoulder. She fell to her knees as agony racked her heart. Slowly James and Erza both went up and knelt beside the poor girl. Taking her into their arms, they let the poor young Dragon Slayer cry herself out.

"We know all too well the pain of losing loved ones," James breathed.

"But you'll heal. We'll help you," Erza added.

Wendy whimpered and looked up at them.

"Come with us," James smiled.

"Be a part of Fairy Tail," Erza finished.


	37. The Past Comes Knocking

**AN: Here you have it folks! The long awaited Origin Story of James Price. I hope you guys enjoy it. This mini arc will span several chapters before we dive into the Edolas Arc. Enjoy and Review. Hope this lives up to your expectations.**

* * *

James was sitting in his usual corner of the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. He had his left arm encased in his Jaeger armor. He had a set of precision tools out and was making fine adjustments to his armor. Erza came over in her white blouse and pleated blue skirt with a tray full of food. James removed his armor and pocketed his tools.

"How can you do that?" Erza asked a look of slight discomfort on her face. "I can't imagine that feels pleasant."

"My magic turns my body into a machine, Erza. What I am doing is nothing more than maintenance. Think of it as the exercises you do to maintain your strength," James explained flexing his hand. "But yes, it does feel funny. Like an involuntary tightening of my muscles."

Erza shivered before sitting down. James grabbed his burger and took a large bite. Erza ate her sandwich with a little more restraint before she said, "I was thinking we should take a break from all the fighting and missions."

"Yeah, things have been hectic lately." James frowned as he thought back to all that had happened. The Oración Seis, that misadventure with the dragonoid, and Gildarts' return. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Anywhere in mind?"

"That's the thing. I don't know where to go or what to do," Erza complained. James nodded and looked out over the rest of the guild. Wendy and Carla were over by the mission board trying to find something for the young Dragon Slayer to do. Natsu and Lucy were over at another table discussing what they should do for their next big mission. Gray and talking with Juvia and the poor girl was blushing madly.

"Sorry to bother you two, but I have to make a request," Master Makarov said as he approached.

"What is it?" James asked.

"Something has been stirring up trouble around Mt. Hakobe. It's got the locals spooked. I'd like you two to go check it out," Master Makarov said.

"Not a problem, Master," Erza smiled. "We'll get right on it." The old man nodded before toddling off to the bar.

"Well that answers where we're going," James smirked. Erza looked at him confused. "Once we take care of this little scare, we can spend a nice relaxing weekend up on the mountain. Just think about it; lovely sunsets, long walks in the mountain forests, relaxing in the cool mountain air."

"You have me sold," Erza giggled.

A commotion at the door drew their attention.

There standing in the main entrance was a tall man with blond hair with a sharp nose and eyes. He wore earth-toned clothes and a brown leather jacket. He was arguing with Macao over something. Erza was about to get up and go see what was the matter but Macao gave a dismissive gesture towards the newcomer before walking over to the bar. Frustrated the newcomer started to scan the crowd.

"What could he want?" Erza whispered.

"Beats me," James said. He took a long drink as he continued to watch the interloper. He was slowly making his way through the crowds. James' eyes narrowed when he realized that the interloper was heading towards them.

"Are you Herr Price?" the man asked. "The one they call Maschine Price."

"Depends on who's asking," James stated.

"I don't have time for games," the man growled in a high pitched nasally tone. "Are you or are you not James Maschine Price?"

James stood and glared at the man. They stood eye to eye, though James had a few more pounds of muscle on him. "I am he."

"Do you remember a little village called Drumlin? Do you remember a little boy who lived next door to you?" the man inquired. James stiffened at the mention of Drumlin and he examined the man before him. James' eyes went wide and he took a step back when he realized he knew this man.

"Gale," he breathed.

"So you do remember. I've been searching for you for a very long time, James," Gale smirked.

"Hey, James, you know this guy?" Natsu asked. He, Gray, and Lucy had all come over see what was going on.

"Old childhood friend," James muttered.

"Indeed. We lived in the same village before James destroyed it," Gale sneered.

"What?" Lucy, Gray, and Natsu cried.

"Oh, he never told you?" Gale continued. "Go on James. Tell them all how you destroyed an entire village in your youth."

"They don't need to know. It doesn't concern them," James growled. His entire body was tense and a cold sweat was breaking out on his brow.

"Fine, I'll tell them," Gale glared. He turned his head towards James' friends and said, "When we were kids James decided to experiment with magic. No harm there, we all did it, but James decided to play around with magic he had no business knowing. He unleashed a demon and it proceeded to destroy our entire village. It would have gone on to destroy others had your Master not been in the area. He quickly came and destroyed the demon. But not before it killed my parents, my sister, James' parents and everyone we had ever known or loved."

"James is this true?" Lucy breathed, her hand covering her mouth. James just stood there looking like he'd rather be anywhere but here.

"I was seven," James breathed, this tortured look on his face. "I was seven when I lost my entire family. It was my fault. I wasn't able to control my powers. Gramps could have killed me or turn me over to the Magic Council for what I'd done. But he told me to atone for what I had unleashed by learning to use magic properly. So I did. I became the S-Class wizard known as Maschine."

"But our village wasn't the only one you destroyed was it," Gale sneered. "Tell them about Viola."

James shivered as horrible memories accosted him. He clenched his fists tighter nearly drawing blood.

"Erza and I were dispatched to deal with a swarm of demons that were attacking Viola. But we were out-numbered and the enemy was stronger. Erza got hurt pretty badly during the fight and I was forced to use a transformation I still hadn't mastered. That night was the first time I used the Götterdämmerung armor. I was barely able to control its destructive power. I defeated most of the demons.

"Then this large powerful demon struck. I could barely stop it. I lost control of Götterdämmerung. Its destructive power was unleashed and I ended up destroying half the village along with the demon. I nearly died. When I awoke in Erza's arms I made her promise me something: If I ever lost control like that again, she was to kill me. I needed to be stopped before I harmed innocents ever again."

"James…," Lucy whimpered. Gray and Natsu stood shocked.

"Why are you here?" Erza growled at Gale.

"I want him to pay for his sins," Gale stated. "I want you to feel my pain!" Gale surged forward and struck James across the face. James stumbled back but didn't retaliate. Lucy gasped and Gray and Natsu moved to stop Gale. Erza stopped them.

"No, this is James' fight."

"Doesn't look like much of a fight to me," Gray grumbled. Gale unleashed a storm of punches and jabs. Each one landed squarely on James' body, a hard jab across his cheek drew blood.

"Fight back!" Gale snarled. He drove his fist into James gut causing him to double over.

"Why won't you fight me?" Gale snarled. He grabbed James by the shirt and slammed him into a nearby column.

"I won't fight a grief-stricken fool," James stated. "I abhor violence and won't fight you. I earned the name Maschine because I show no fear, feel no pain, I don't let emotions cloud my judgement. I am cold, brutal, and efficient. I buried the pain from my past and moved on."

"You killed my family, you killed my sister, you destroyed everything I loved!" Gale snarled.

"I killed my parents," James whispered. He looked at Gale so sadly, so dejectedly.

"No, you do not get to wallow in self-loathing!" Gale cocked back his fist to punch James again. Natsu grabbed Gale's fist and growled, "Can't you see he's had enough?"

"I think it's time you leave," Gray growled.

"I will be back. This isn't over James," Gale snarled. He yanked his hand back and stormed out. James wiped the blood from his cheek and headed to the bar.

"Give me the entire bottle, Cana," James growled. The voluptuous bartender gave him a bottle of whiskey and he disappeared upstairs.

"James!" Lucy cried after him. Erza grabbed her shoulder and her head.

"But, he shouldn't be left alone right now," Lucy said.

"James just wants to be alone right now. I'll go check on him in a little bit."

Lucy nodded hesitantly.

"Hey Erza, you know who that punk was?" Gray asked.

"No. James never talks about his past. I can see why now."

"Yeah, it's pretty dark."

* * *

Erza walked into James' room to find him leaning against the wall sitting in his bed. He took another ling swig from the half-empty bottle of whiskey. He glanced over at her before closing his eyes.

"Who was that?" Erza asked closing the door.

"Old childhood friend. Someone I thought I would never see again," James groaned.

"Do you know why he's attacking you?"

"Revenge I'm sure. I did kill his family."

Erza came over and glared at James. "You did not. That demon did. Stop blaming yourself for something you had no control over."

James leveled his glazed eyes on Erza. "I could have not picked up that book. My stupidity cost people their lives."

"You have no idea what would happen!" Erza snapped. James groaned and clutched his head.

"Please be quiet. Your voice… it's annoying." James moaned. Erza sighed and took the bottle from James.

"I think you've had enough." Erza placed the bottle on the bedside table and gently pushed James into bed. "We'll talk more in the morning."

"Don't leave," James whispered, clutching at Erza. "I… I don't want to be alone tonight." There was something in his tone that made Erza stop. She sighed and turned off the lights. She drew back the covers and slipped in beside James.

"Sleep well my knight," Erza whispered.


	38. Nightmares

**AN: This arc is going to a lot darker than normal. I am earning that Teen Rating here. So be prepared for more graphic content and darker themes. Some viewer discretion is advised.**

* * *

 **Nightmares**

James found himself in a dark place filled with mist and shadows. The very air was oppressive and suffocating.

"Why do you run?"

James turned to see a shadowy figure behind him. James clenched his fist as he realized it was the same being he was in the Void Realm Zero had cast him into during their fight on Nirvana.

"Why do you run from your past? Embrace the darkness. It is only natural."

"Who are you?" James asked. "Why do you torment me?"

The being laughed. "I am your destiny! Behold your future!" The shadows enveloped James. He screamed and tried to fight them off as they absorbed him. As the shadows covered his head, horrific images filled James' mind.

Before him lay the shattered remains of the Fairy Tail Guild; behind him, Magnolia lied in ruins. A heavy rain washed over everything while thunder filled the sky. James looked at himself in horror as he saw he was in his accursed black armor, Götterdämmerung. The rain was slowly washing the blood from his armor and hands.

James fell to his knees as he saw his allies scattered around him; bloodied, lifeless corpses. Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy, Fairy Tail's great Dragon Slayers, were planted on spikes; Lucy's neck was snapped; Gray mangled. Poor Erza lay at James' feet, a hole in her chest where her heart should be.

"This, this is your future," the shadowy figure said as he emerged from the rain. "You will fall to the darkness that lies within you and you will kill everyone you love." He knelt before James and cupped James' cheek like a loving father. "Give in already and embrace your inner Demon."

 _Embrace it._

* * *

James groaned as his head throbbed the following morning. Erza had already disappeared from his bed. Staggering to the bathroom, James splashed cold water on his face. Whipping his face, he glanced at the mirror. He saw his haggard face and the tortured look in his eyes.

"Don't look at me like that," he growled. He stiffened as his eyes flashed red for a moment. James left the room in a hurry and changed into a different set of black clothes, trying to shave a feeling of dread. A soft knock on the door preceded its opening. James saw Erza enter with a tray of food and a pitcher of water. James immediately grabbed the pitcher and drained half of it. It helped alieve some of the buzzing in his head.

"How you feeling?" Erza asked.

"Lower your voice," James moaned. Erza sighed and also shut the blinds a little.

"It's your own fault. What were you thinking drinking that much?"

"I wasn't. I just wanted the pain to go away."

James grabbed an apple and took a large bite. Erza sat patiently on the edge of his bed while he finished eating.

"When are we leaving for that mission Gramps mentioned?" James asked as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"We're not. Lucy, Gray, and Natsu are," Erza stated.

"What do you mean?" James inquired.

"You and I are going to talk. What is so dark about your past that Gale wants to kill you and you condemn yourself?" Erza asked, concern etched on her face. James sighed and collapsed on the floor against the far wall.

"It's not that I don't trust you Erza, I just don't want to talk about it. Just like I told Gale yesterday, I buried my pain. I don't want to dreg it up. Besides you're one to scold people about not talking about their past. Tower of Heaven ring a bell?"

A knock on the door prevented Erza from responding. Lucy poked her blond head in and said, "Um, you might want to stay up here James. Gale is back and he's looking for a fight. Gray and Natsu are currently holding him off but he says he won't leave until he fights you."

"Fool," James growled. He got up and dug out a rucksack. "How soon can we leave for that mission at Mt. Hakobe?"

"James you are not going!" Erza snapped and moved towards him.

"Please, don't stop me Erza. I can't stay here right now."

Erza stopped and James activated his Schnitter Armor. He disappeared into the shadows and Lucy and Erza were left to deal with Gale.

* * *

James stood on the edge of Magnolia. The afterimages of his nightmare were haunting him. It was a reoccurring one that had been progressively getting worse ever since the events of Nirvana. For the moment he was able to bury it so it didn't affect him but every now and then, in those unguarded moments, he found himself dwelling on it.

The fact that there was some dark evil part of him that called for the utter destruction of those he loved, everything that was important to him, scared James down to his bones.

James looked up as he sensed someone approaching. He stiffened when he saw that it as the shadowy figure whom had been haunting him since Nirvana. Only now the being was more defined in figure. James could pick out the outline of black spiked armor and red eyes but the rest of the being was still too blurred to be made out.

"What do you want?" James growled.

The being just sneered and stood there.

"Fine. Don't talk. Just leave me alone. I have enough to deal with right now."

"James who are you talking to?" James spotted Erza as she came up over the hill. She was wearing her armor and had a small cart with supplies behind her.

"No one," James said as the shadow blurred and vanished.

"Are you sure you want to do through with this?" Erza asked concerned.

"Yes. I need a distraction right now." James adjusted his rucksack and started towards Mt. Hakobe. Erza frowned as she watched James. This time of year James always got distant. He became even more withdrawn and depressed. No one could reach him, not even Erza.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Erza persisted.

"About what?" James growled harshly. He winced and gave Erza an apologetic look. She gave him a sad smile to let him know she knew he wasn't mad at her, just mad in general.

"What Gale said. About whatever is bothering you. You were tossing and turning in your sleep last night and you've been distant since Nirvana," Erza explained. James looked away and tightened his grip on the shoulder strap to his rucksack. An image of Erza lying dead at his hands flashed before him.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"What is so horrible about your past that you don't want to talk about it?"

"Drop it!" James stopped in the middle of the road shaking. "Please just stop. You of all people should appreciate someone not wanting to disclose their past. You were never forthcoming with your past and Lord knows I inquired several times when I saw that hurt unguarded look in your eyes. It was the same look in mine on my bad days."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I won't ask you if you don't want to talk." Erza came up beside James and gently took his hand. She gave it a light squeeze and him a slight smile. "I will wait 'til you are ready to talk about it. I know how toxic a bad past can be and how it wears on the soul."

James smirked and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you. Come on, let's get going. The sooner we get to Mt. Hakobe and defeat whatever is causing trouble, the sooner we can get to relaxing in a peaceful glen."

Erza smiled and lead the way, gently leading James by the hand.


	39. Mt Hakobe

**Mt. Hakobe**

* * *

James snarled as he sunk midway up his thigh in the deep snow. Erza couldn't help but giggle as she helped him out of the snow and onto a firmer path. James beat the snow off his leg and pulled his jacket closer. Even though it was summer down in Magnolia, up here in the mountains it felt like it was still the dead of winter. Deep snow drifts lined the path and a cold wind blew that bit at any piece of exposed flesh and chilled you to the bone.

They soon came upon a much warmer area; a secluded hillside that was blocked by the wind on each side and the sun shined brightly. Grass poked through the thin snow and several flat boulders were being warmed by the sun. James shrugged off his rucksack and sat down on one of the sun-warmed boulders. He dug out two chicken sandwiches and offered one to Erza. She gladly took it and sat down beside James on the large boulder. She took small nibbles out of her sandwich while James took large bites out of his, polishing it off quickly.

"I think we should split up," Erza suggested as James handed her a bottle of water. "We can cover more ground that way."

"Stay safe," James said.

"Always."

Erza gave James a quick kiss before she Requipped into her Black Wing Armor and took to the skies. James smirked as he watched her do a quick twirl and then head north. Erza moved with such grace and elegance, so sure of herself whenever she was in her armor. James repacked his rucksack, stashed it in his Requip Space, and rolled his shoulders.

"Well, best get moving. Mech Magic form Valkyrie." He crossed his arms over his chest before a white light enveloped him. It slowly died and consolidated until his silver winged armor formed. Rolling his neck, James snapped his wings out and then shot into the sky before banking south. Large sweeping evergreen forests spread out in every direction beneath him. Just above him the mountain abruptly switched into barren snow and ice. Ahead James could see dark grey storm clouds.

 _That doesn't look good._ James banked to the west, towards the foothills trying to find evidence of whatever disturbance was spooking the locals. He knew it had to be more than just Vulcans acting up otherwise the request would have simply stated such. James' mind started to wander as he searched; his thoughts drifting back to the first time he used his Mech Magic in combat, to his first major mission as a Fairy Tail Wizard.

* * *

 _James slowly walked into a small town. He was only ten, a short little kid, wearing a much more modest black ensemble. A look of sad innocence covered his face. A sense of dread and gloom hung over the town. James frowned as he saw several destroyed houses on the edge of town near the forest. The request had said that the village was having an issue with rogue Vulcans but this seemed excessive for mere Vulcans._

 _James approached the town hall and quickly talked to the mayor. The mayor was a nervous man; worried about his people and the damages been wrought._

 _"_ _Please take care of these Vulcans before they take any more of my townsfolk! Families are being torn apart; people are afraid to leave their houses; we depend on that forest for much of our supplies and if we can't get into it, we are doomed!" The mayor pleaded. James nodded and headed out._

 _The forest was cool and a thick mist covered the ground. Evidence of the Vulcans' destruction was present in the form of the footprints, broken branches, and drag marks. The trail led deep into the woods, though James was surprised to find the woods thin out after a hundred feet. There he found a large orchard and clearcutting._

This must have been what set the Vulcans against the village people _James thought._ The Vulcans must have acted as guardians of the forest. They must have seen the people as intruders when they clearcutted the forest. I'm sure the Vulcans then tore into the orchards for free food and the people retaliated.

 _James sighed._ And I have to help the humans even though it's really the Vulcans who have been slighted.

 _A scream cut through the air behind James, back in the direction of the village. James took off running back towards town. He stopped at the edge of town and stared in shock as a pack of twenty large forest Vulcans was tearing through the village. Village people were running in fear and the Vulcans were destroying whatever was near and attacking whoever was in reach._

 _Charging forward James charged the nearest Vulcan and bodyslammed it. It stumbled and released the little girl it had captured. She screamed and ran to her mother. Together they fled deeper into the village. James rolled away from the Vulcan as it tried to backhand him._

 _"_ _Mech Magic form Jaeger!" James held out his fists before snapping them back, his arms forming right angles as the elbow reached his hips, his fist now facing up. A blue Magic Circle with sharp angular Runes within the concentric circles and angelic wings form in the middle. The circle moved upward enveloping James and turning him into his thirty foot tall hulking blue giant. He flexed his heavyset shoulders and slammed his fists together._

 _That immediately got all twenty Vulcans attention. They all grunted and snarled, beating their chests. James brought up his fists and dropped low. The Vulcans stood ten to twelve feet high so they barely reached his waist. All twenty charged James at once yelling and screaming at him._

 _Gulping, James stood his ground until the last minute where he jumped to the side. The Vulcans all charged past him in a large heap. Quickly turning around, James slammed his fist into the ground._

 _"_ _Fist of the War Monger!" It sent out a shockwave that plowed into the Vulcans. Disoriented and clumped, the Vulcans couldn't retaliate in time as James charged into the pile of them and laid into them. Vulcan after Vulcan fell to James' fists, the beasts being defeated and the humans they had taken over being freed._

 _Then James got laid out by a large fist to the side of his head. James stumbled and fell to the side. A massive fifteen foot bull Vulcan jumped on his chest and then started punching James repeatedly in the head and shoulders with its massive fists. Growling James blocked a strike and slammed his fist into the Vulcan. It collided with a building, collapsing it. Staggering to his feet James took a few strikes from the last few Vulcans before he took them down with a final blow._

 _Suddenly something heavy slammed into his back. The bull Vulcan had returned. It wrapped its legs around James' chest and then pounded on his head and chest with its fists._

 _"_ _Get off!" James cried. He reached up, grabbed the Vulcan, and tossed it. The Vulcan collided with another building, causing it to collapse. The Vulcan snarled but before it could move James slammed his fist into its face._

 _"_ _Fist of the War Monger!"_

 _With a final cry the Vulcan exploded into magical energy and revealed the possessed body of bulky young man._

 _"_ _Big Brother!"_

 _James looked down in shock to see a little girl in pink dress running towards the man he had just freed._

 _"_ _Leave him alone you big meany!" the little girl cried. She stood over the wound civilian, her arms outstretched as she faced James, tears in her eyes. James staggered back and suddenly the full consequences of what he'd done hit him. The fight had destroyed several more buildings and James could see several men trying to dig some wounded out of the rubble._

 _Seeing a young woman caught under a rafter, James reached over and slowly lifted the broken timbers off of her. An older gentleman ran over and helped her out. James stiffened as he saw her leg was broken._

 _"_ _Get out of here!"_

 _"_ _Leave!"_

 _"_ _You've only made things worse!"_

 _James was shocked to see the villagers turning against him. He had just saved them, yet they were treating him like the bag guy! Angry, hurt, and confused, James took off running in his Mech form towards Magnolia and home._

* * *

Diving, James started to skim the treetops as he continued the search.

Unfortunately, that made James a target.

A large white blur emerged out of the trees and slammed right into James. Its weight threw off his fight telemetry causing James to crash into and through the tree tops. The two collided into a particularly thick branch and were separated; James's concentration was broken by the impact forcing him out of his Valkyrie armor.

Impacting into a thick snowbank, James groaned as he staggered to his feet. He looked up to see a Mountain Vulcan standing over him, a hungry look in its eyes. It gave a smug grin, before beating its chest and then raising its fists to beat James into a pulp. James dove to the side to avoid the attack, rolling into a crouch.

"Right arm of Schneider." James snapped out his arm as an orange Magic Circle enveloped his right shoulder and then moved down to his fingers enveloping his arm in his orange, white, and blue Schneider armor. Angelic wings became visible as the Magic Circle reached his fingertips before flashing out of existence. Flexing his fingers, James smirked as he reached up to his shoulder and grabbed the base of his large shoulder blade. With a twirl James removed it and put it into a reverse grip.

"I do not have time to deal with you," James growled. The Vulcan grunted and beat its chest before charging. James charged the beast in turn. He jumped into the air, twisted, and drove his blade right through its head. The Vulcan went slack and then exploded into a burst of Magic.

Disengaging his Schneider armor and reengaging his Valkyrie, James took to the air again. He banked north and continued his search. There he finally found what he and Erza were looking for.

There on the southeast side of Mt. Hakobe was a path of destruction through the pines. James started to dive to investigate further but that's went the weather started to take a turn. The snow started to fall in thick fat flakes. James growled and turned further north looking for Erza. He found her doing wide sweeps along the northeast edge of the forest.

"Find anything?" Erza shouted over the wind.

"There's a trail to the south! I didn't get far before the storm hit!" James replied. Erza nodded and they both dived to get out of the wind. Landing in an area with a thicker canopy to keep the snow off, they removed their armors and started to search for a safe place to camp.

Inevitably they returned to the calm alcove they had discovered earlier. Here the wind wasn't so bad but it created a dead zone where the snow piled up. Before the snow got too deep, James and Erza erected a four-season high-durability tent. They quickly slipped inside and tried to warm up.

"So what did you find?" Erza asked as she removed her armor and started to change into some warm pajamas.

"There's a path of destruction on the southeast side of the mountain. Just this wide path ripped right through the forest. Something really big went through there and recently," James explained. "We can pick up the trail in the morning once the storm dies out."

"Agreed." Erza teased her hair out from under her shirt and then lied down. James removed his shirt and Erza flinched as she saw the scars he had. A jagged one that cut across his left shoulder had been dealt by her hand back when James and her were learning how to sword fight. She had lost her concentration for a moment just as James' lost his footing trying to spin away from Erza. Her blade caught him and sliced James' shoulder wide open. He had been unable to fight or train for weeks yet he never blamed Erza. Only himself.

Erza frowned as she thought about it. James had been injured, slighted, and emotionally abused by several members of Fairy Tail throughout the years, but he never held it against them. He seemed to internalize it; take all the blame for himself.

 _Why do you do it James? Why do you punish yourself?_ Erza thought.

"Something the matter?" James inquired as he pulled on some sweatpants.

"Nothing," Erza murmured. She wanted to ask James, it rubbed her wrong not to ask, but she already seen today that James was in no mood to answer her questions.

James frowned, sensing something was wrong but he decided not to pursue it. Settling into a corner of the tent, leaning against his rucksack, James summoned his Schneider armor and set about maintaining it like his Jaeger. Erza looked away in discomfort, instead digging out one of her romance novels and started to read.

Dinner passed without incident, the two feasting on dried fruit and meat washed down with tea. James braved the cold long enough to make sure the top vents weren't getting full of snow.

"Good thing that beast wrought a path of destruction ten meters wide otherwise we'd never be able to follow it in this snow," James growled as he slipped back inside. Erza snickered at the light dusting of snow in his blond hair. Leaning over, she cupped his flush cheek and whispered in his ear, "Why don't you come over here and let me warm you up."

James smirked before capturing her lips with his. Erza wrapped her hand around his neck and gently pulled him on top of her as she fell back into the embrace of the thick warm blankets they had brought. James growled low in his throat as Erza held him close and gave him light kisses. He buried his face in her neck and let her warm strawberry and vanilla scent fill his head. She ran her fingers through his hair as James held her close.

Erza smiled sympathetically at James as a look of unguarded pain and loss came over him. Having seen that look on her own face at times, Erza was starting to think that James' past was just as painful as hers was. That doubled with what Gale had said earlier, that James had destroyed their village, reinforced that idea.

* * *

 _Screams filled the air as a massive black demon moved through the rubble of a half destroyed village. Angry red eyes pierced the smoke and haze, searching for new victims. The demon unleashed an unearthly bellow before unleashing a devastating energy blast that destroyed an entire city block._

 _James stood there in the rubble, nothing more than a little boy, trembling in terror as the demon moved through the village. This was_ his _fault._ He _had summoned this monstrosity. Seeming to sense him, the demon turned its angry gaze towards him. Stuck firm to his spot by utter terror, James was helpless as the demon reached for him. He screamed as the demon grabbed him and held James before his face._

 _"_ _All of this is because of you, little one," the demon rumbled. "You released me and now you shall reap what you have sown. Everyone you love shall die because of you. You are_ mine _now, little one."_

 _The demon let loose a thunderous bellow as it laughed. Holding James in one fist, it smashed the nearest home. One very familiar to James._

* * *

"Mother! Father!"

James snapped away drenched in cold sweat. His breathing was shallow and ragged. A gentle hand touched his arm causing him to recoil and scrabble to get away.

"James?"

Coming to his senses James realized it was Erza who had touched him, a very concerned look on her face.

"James, what's wrong?" Erza whispered.

Trying to steady his breathing, James rested his head in his hands and breathed, "Nothing. Just a bad dream; a nightmare."

"You want to talk about it?" Erza asked reaching out to touch him. James recoiled and shook his head. A hurt look came over her face and she drew her hand back.

"I'm going to get some fresh air." James quickly slipped outside into the harsh mountain air. The storm had passed and the stars and a full moon lit the clear mountain air. Taking deep gulps of the cold, crisp, mountain air, James ran a hand through his hair. He shivered from the cold and the chilling words the demon had uttered.

 _"_ _You are mine now, little one."_

 _"_ _Everyone you love shall die because of you."_

James shivered and collapsed to his knees, the snow soaking through his sweatpants. Tears welled in his eyes, threatening to spill over as grief and agony washed over him.

"Why? Why did I do it?" James whispered. He stiffened as he felt a heavy warm blanket drop around his shoulders.

"Can you please come back inside before you catch a cold?" Erza pleaded. James didn't resist as Erza gently helped him to his feet and back into the tent. Erza wrapped James up tight and rubbed his cheek. He had a glazed over look in his eyes; this dead expression that worried Erza.

"We're going back," Erza said firmly.

That snapped James out of his stupor.

"What?"

"I said we're going back. Natsu, Gray, and Lucy can handle whatever this is. You need to make peace with whatever turmoil is destroying you," Erza stated.

"No, I can go on. I can complete the mission," James insisted. "It was just a bad dream Erza."

"It's more than that! Ever since Gale showed up you've been acting weird. You look so torn up inside, I can't stand it! Not everything is your fault James. You need to stop blaming yourself for events you have no control over!" Erza snapped. James looked away, the pain evident in his eyes.

"Please, just let me do this," James whispered.

"Why? Why is this so important?"

"I need to prove I'm strong!" James gasped at his sudden outburst and looked away from Erza again.

"Strong? James you already are strong. Not just physically. I've seen the pain you carry every day since I joined the Guild. The fact that you can get up every day and do what you do is incredible. Gale said you inadvertently killed your village, your parents. The fact that you are able to continue to live to try and make them proud is amazing. Others would have given up by now and taken their own lives. You don't need to prove you're strong because you already are," Erza whispered caressing James' cheek. Tears pricked at James eyes and he roughly wiped them away.

"Let me do this. For myself. I want to prove that I am still the warrior everyone thinks I am. My mind, my emotions are a mess right now. I need to see if I am still worthy of the title 'Maschine'," James breathed.

 _I need to show Gale that I'm not a monster._

 _I need to show_ myself _that I'm not a monster._

"Alright. But after this, you and I are going to have a serious talk," Erza said. James nodded and curled back up to sleep. Erza laid down beside him and pulled James into her arms. She ran her fingers through his hair until his breathing evened out.

 _What aren't you telling me?_ Erza thought. _I know this is more than just about your wounded pride. What is haunting you James? Is the past really that horrible for you? I know you're strong. You can beat this._


	40. The Battle of Demons

The next morning the two wordlessly awoke, ate, and broke camp before heading south to the trailhead James had found. Even with the foot of freshly fallen snow, the devastation was still evident. Entire trees had been uprooted and tossed aside like tinder. Branches at thick as a man's thigh were snapped off at the base and littered the forest floor.

Silently both Fairy Tail Wizards engaged their flight armors and headed down the trail in pursuit of their target. The trail led them down the mountain range out of the forests and into a craggy series of valleys, gorges, and cliffs. For hours they flew in silence, the miles being chewed up by their steady pace. The two weren't going all that fast as they tried to conserve magic but they were still making good time.

When they reached a blind corner, the two landed and removed their armors. The sun was high and the lack of wind made the canyon hot and stifling. James shed his outer jacket revealing a charcoal grey tank.

"You sense it too?" James whispered. Erza nodded. Just ahead the air had a sinister sense to it; dark and foreboding. Erza summoned a sword and gripped it tightly. Slowly the two advanced around the corner and then froze in their tracks.

Standing before them was a towering monstrosity. Standing fifty feet tall, the beast had mottled scaly skin of varying shades of brown. Stubby spikes with flat tops covered its shoulders and arms while a series of them circled the crown of its head. A line of thicker spikes ran down its spine. Thick muscles rippled under its skin as the beast stood up and turned to face them. Its mouth was a gash across its squat face filled with jagged square teeth. Beady eyes stared at them with an eerie green glow. In one of its thick, stubby hands it held a cow which bleated pitifully.

The demon roared and threw the cow at James and Erza.

The two dived to the side as the cow slammed into the ground with a sickening thud. Enraged that the two had dodged its attack and cost it a meal, the demon slammed a fist into the ground, a series of jagged spikes erupting out of the ground at the two wizards. Erza requipped into her Adamantine Armor and blocked the attack, though it shoved her and James back several feet. The demon roared, issuing a challenge to the wizards who dared to survive its attack. James stumbled as the roar ripped through him and resonated with something deep within his soul.

He broke out into a cold sweat as he grasped his head and fell to his knees. He could hear dark laughter deep in his mind.

"James!" Erza cried. She tried to help him, but the demon slammed another fist into the ground sending another wave of earth at her. Quickly switching to her Black Wing Armor, Erza smashed the attack to pieces.

"Get it together!" Erza snapped as she yanked James to his feet. "Now is not the time to have a panic attack!"

"I can sense him," James breathed. "The demon… I can sense him."

"No crap! He's right there!" Erza cried.

"He's in my head," James muttered. Annoyed, Erza tossed James aside and turned to the demon.

"Fine then, I'll finish this myself. But when I'm done, you and I are going to have a serious talk about this." With a battle cry, Erza charged the demon, slashing her sword into the stone plated forearm it raised to block her strike. Erza's blade skated off its arm and the demon retaliated with an uppercut that sent Erza flying into the canyon wall.

She groaned as she extradited herself before the demon slammed its fist into the wall where she had been just seconds before. She slashed at the demon, only to have her blade spark off its armor like skin.

"James a little help here!" Erza cried. She dived to the side to avoid another strike and then gained altitude.

James clutched at his head as the evil laughter continued.

 _Unleash me boy! Let us show this demon what true power is!_

 _Unleash the Twilight!_

James struggled to his feet and shook his head violently. He staggered towards the demon as it swiped at Erza and fired rock spikes at her in the air. With each step he got steadier until a blue Magic Circle surrounded him and turned his body into his towering thirty foot Jaeger armor. Only reaching the demon's abdomen, James slammed a fist into the demon's knee causing the beast to stumble. James then drove his fist into the demon's stomach.

"Fist of the War Monger!" James roared. Magical energy reinforced James' punch and slammed the demon into the canyon wall. Erza hung back as James unleashed a series of magically empowered punches into the demon. It cried in agony as each blow landed until it managed to slug James in the head. The demon raised its fist and then brought them down on James' shoulder, forcing the mechanized warrior to his knees. The demon kicked him in the ribs and sent James flying. He crashed into the ground and rolled until colliding with a large boulder.

"Heaven's Wheel!" Erza then sent a series of swords at the demon. It snarled as it tried to fend the off. It slammed its fists into the ground and made a wall of earth to hide behind.

James pushed himself upright and shook his head.

 _Come on James. Get your head in the game_ James scolded himself. _Bury the past. It's what you do best. Focus on right now. Shut down your fear and guilt. You are Maschine._

Standing upright, James turned to the demon. Hiding behind its wall, it sent boulders flying at Erza who was doing her best to dodge them. Slamming his fists together, he twisted them so they faced opposite directions, one up, one down, and then slowly pulled them apart. Blue lightening sparked between his two fists, building up magical energy. Turning both fists upright, James slammed them back together. His fists glowed with crackling blue energy as he charged the demon's defenses.

"Jaeger Bomb!" James roared as he slammed his fist into the wall. It detonated with a thunderous boom. The demon roared as its own rock wall became a bunch of shrapnel that smacked against its face and upper body. Continuing forward, James slammed his left fist into the demon's face.

"Jaeger Bomb!" James snapped again. The blast sent the demon flying. Snarling, it staggered to its feet and sent a wave of rock at James causing him to cut his charge short. Switching back to her Black Wing Armor Erza flew up and landed on James' shoulder.

"You back in control?" Erza inquired.

James nodded his head slowly. "I'm good."

"Shall we finish this?" Erza asked. James nodded and smashed the newest barrier to pieces. He stepped forward and was immediately met by a rocky fist to the face. James stumbled back while Erza took flight. The demon unleashed a barrage of rocks and spikes at James. He cried in pain as the rocks pierced his armor and subsequently his flesh.

"Requip: Purgatory Armor!" Erza dropped from the sky like a missile as she wielded her massive mace and slammed it into the demon's face. He slapped at her and sent her flying. She impacted into the cliff face and then was crushed by the demon as it slammed its fist into her. She fell from the cliff face, knocked unconscious by the blow. The demon stomped her into the ground repeatedly, laughing as it did so.

 _It will kill her if you do not act. Only a demon can defeat another demon. Embrace the darkness._

James clenched his fist as he saw the shadowy figure before him again.

 _Initiate Götterdämmerung. Unleash the Twilight!_

"Damn it all." James slammed his fist into the ground as a blue Magic Circle appeared below him. Lightning arced from it as his armor morphed.

"Mech Magic form Götterdämmerung!" James voice turned demonic as he engaged his fifty foot tall black armor. Standing at full height, he turned his red eyes towards the demon. It seemed to cower for a moment before James' menacing aura before bellowing a challenge. James returned it before charging forward and slamming his fist into the demon's gut. He forced it away from Erza and continued to pummel it. The demon tried to defend itself but James smashed through any feeble defense the demon tried to put up.

Erza moaned as she pushed herself upright. She gasped as she saw James beat the crap out of the demon. Each blow had so much force behind it that the air cracked with the force of the impact. Erza almost felt sorry for the demon given the brutal assault it was being forced to endure.

"Impressive, is it not?"

Erza looked up to see Gale standing there with smug admiration.

"Such a powerful being," Gale grinned. "That is the demon that destroyed our village."

"What are you talking about?" Erza asked.

"Watch as I destroy the very thing that ruined my life." Gale walked forward, yellow Magic Circles appearing around his hands. With a few quick gestures, Gale summoned dozens of large spikes made of earth. They surrounded James and the demon before shooting forward and skewering the two.

"Stop!" Erza screamed. "You'll kill him."

"That's the idea," Gale grinned maliciously. "I'm going to kill the demon that ruined my life. That took everything from me!"

The demon James was fighting howled in rage and pain as the earthen spikes pierced its skin. It violently smashed aside the earth as blood the color and consistency of mud poured from its wounds. Grabbing a nearby spike shard, it crunched down on the rock and devoured it.

"It's eating the earth," Erza breathed.

The demon roared as its wounds healed before the wizards' eyes. Drawing back its fist, it roared as it attacked James. The Fairy Tail wizard was trapped by the earth spikes Gale had summoned. They pierced his body in several place, pinning his arms, legs, and piercing his abdomen and back. James struggled to move as what looked like oil poured from his wounds. The demon slammed its boulder-like fist into James' chest. James grunted as the air was forced from his body and his armor was dented. The demon slammed its fist into James' gut breaking the spikes that held him and sending him flying.

James landed with a thunderous crash. The demon sent a wave of earth that slammed into James and caused him to roll farther, his left arm now limp and lying at a weird angle.

"What have you done?" Erza snarled at Gale, her mace held at his throat.

"Nothing yet." With a quick flick of his finger, he sent Erza flying with a stone pillar. She crashed into the cliff face where Gale then pinned her by forming shackles out of the earth. Turning his attention back to James, Gale slowly walked towards the wounded wizard. The demon roared, beating its chest before turning back to the others.

"Get out of my way demon. You are not my priority. I must destroy the accursed monster that killed my family," Gale stated. The demon snarled and then brought down its fist. Gale deflected it wide with a pillar of stone. He then summoned several pillars that slammed into the demon's chest, throwing it into the canyon wall. It slumped to the ground dazed.

"Now to finish it." Gale summoned a massive Magic Circle. "Terra Explosion!" A massive wave of energy erupted forth causing the ground to crack and shatter. The rubble got caught in the wake of the energy and consolidated into a large amalgamation of earth and energy, gaining momentum and strength. The magical energy and rock projectile slammed into James and detonated. Wind, light, and dust filled the air, momentarily blinding the occupants of the battlefield.

"James!" Erza cried as she struggled to break free. "James!" Tears made trails in the dust on her face as the dust slowly cleared to reveal the broken, bloody, and battered body of James Price.

"No," Erza whispered. The shackles holding her broke, but she made no moves of retaliation as she failed to grasp the scene before her. Her armor faded away so she was just in her blouse and skirt.

"I've done it," Gale laughed. "I've finally avenged them!" He started to laugh manically, his cries becoming louder and more hysterical as time went on.

"James," Erza breathed. She started to run towards James only to be blasted back by a sudden explosion of magic from his body.

 _You will not die here! I_ will _not die here! If_ you _cannot defeat this fool, then_ I _shall!_

James body slowly elevated into the air as lightning crackled around it. His armor formed around him again. Embraced in his black Götterdämmerung armor, James towered over the battlefield. Erza slowly backed away, scared by the terrifying aura being given off by James. It was dark, primal, and out for blood. This was not her James.

She ran at Gale and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Summoning a sword, she held the tip of the blade at his throat.

"What did you do to him?" Erza snarled.

Gale however was not forthcoming with answers.

"No, no, no. I killed you! Why won't you stay dead?" Gale breathed his eyes wide with fear. He tossed Erza off him with inhuman strength.

"Terra Explosion!" He fired another blast of earth and magical energy at James, only to have the mech destroy the earth bomb with little effort. James kicked the attack into the canyon wall where it detonated without harming anyone. Before Gale could fire another attack, Erza punched him in the face slamming him into a nearby boulder.

James surveyed those around him with blazing red eyes, eyes that surged with bloodlust. They fell upon the earth demon that was eating a large boulder to regain its strength. James unleashed a thunderous roar in challenge. The demon returned it before the two collided again. James, despite having been severely wounded only moments before, dominated the fight. He quickly broke the demon's defenses before slamming it the demon into the wall.

"Twilight's End," James intoned in a voice like rolling thunder. His right fist came to life with dark purple crackling lightning. He drove it into the demon's abdomen. The demon shrieked in pain before an almighty detonation of magical energy ended its life. James roared in victory, his head tilted back, before the residual dark energies of demon were absorbed into his armor. Hunching forward, James turned his attention to Gale and Erza.

"God have mercy on our souls," Gale breathed.


	41. Making Peace With One's Demons

"God have mercy on our souls," Gale breathed.

"James?" Erza asked uncertainly as she slowly approached him. "James, can you hear me?"

James just roared before bringing his fist down. Erza jumped back as James' fist left a crater in the ground. Gale quickly sent a wave of earth at James to force him back.

"Fix this!" Erza demanded.

"This isn't how it was supposed to go," Gale breathed. "I was supposed to kill the demon that destroyed my family, not make it stronger." Erza slapped him and then grabbed his shirt again.

"Fix this," she hissed. Gale gulped before nodding. Erza stepped away and Gale gathered himself.

"Earth Make: Götterdämmerung." A large Magic Circle formed under Gale before he became encased in earth and he grew to the same size as James. The earth consolidated into a stone version of James' black armor.

"Let's end this," Gale said. James snarled before snapping his fist out slugging Gale across the head. His armor chipped and cracked under the force of the blow, but Gale's magic quickly healed the damage.

"Twilight of the Gods!" James slammed his magically charged his into Gale's gut blowing out a fist sized hole in Gale's armor. Gale healed himself again before slamming his fists into James' shoulders. The blow knocked James to his knees where Gale then kicked him in the head.

"Why James?" Gale asked. "Why did you do it? Why did you kill everyone we loved?"

James snarled as he picked himself back up. He drove another magically imbued fist into Gale's side. Gale pinned James' arm and then pounded his head and shoulder repeatedly. The blows dented James armor before he managed to slam a fist into Gale's side, break free and then kick Gale in the chest, gaining some space.

"Twilight of the Gods!" James intoned.

"Twilight of the Gods!" Gale cried.

The two fists impacted against each other. The resulting detonation gouged out a large chunk of earth on the top edge of the canyon and destroyed both mech's arms up to the elbow. Snarling James tried to attack again, but Gale quickly got in low and drove his fist into James chest. James went limp as a massive spike of earth erupted out of his mech's back.

"James!" Erza cried. She equipped her Black Wing Armor and flew up to catch James' body as the Götterdämmerung armor disappeared and left him in the air. She held his battered and bloodied body tight against her as she slowly descended. Gale removed his armor and slowly approached them. Erza was out of her armor and held James' bloodied face to her chest, tears coating her face.

"Is the demon finally dead?" Gale asked lifelessly.

"Damn you!" Erza shrieked. "Damn you to Hell!" She cried over James before fully turning her rage on Gale. She glared at him as she summoned dozens of swords. Gale's eyes went wide as the swords flew at him and pinned him to the canyon wall.

"Why?" Erza demanded. "Why did you do this? Was what James did really so bad?"

"Yes," Gale said without remorse. "That bastard killed my family, our entire village. He summoned the demon he has the audacity to replicate with that Götterdämmerung armor of his."

"You used it too!" Erza accused.

"Only because I had to," Gale stated. "There was no other way to defeat the demon."

Erza glared at him. "Stop calling him that! James is not a monster!"

"Really? How many innocent lives have been lost because he couldn't control his power? How many people have lost loved ones, their homes, and valuables? Fairy Tail collects monsters."

Erza blinked away tears, Gale's words hitting close to home. She primed a sword to kill Gale and avenge James but a weak hand on her arm stopped her. Her heart stopped as she looked down to see James looking up at her.

"Don't Erza. His life is not worth bloodying your hands over," James moaned.

"So the demon still lives," Gale stated emotionlessly.

"James," Erza breathed. She held him close, burying her face in his neck. Her breath was ragged as James weakly held her. "My knight lives."

"You can't get rid of me that easily," James smiled weakly. He struggled to push himself into an upright position, but Erza made him lie down.

"Why did you do it?" Gale asked again. "Why did you kill them all?"

"Find a new tune, Gale. I won't answer you," James said stubbornly. Gale roared and ripped free of Erza's swords. With a mad look in his eyes, he shoved Erza away and grabbed James.

"You worthless bastard! Do you really think yourself better than us? That you don't owe us an explanation for what you did?" Gale roared. He slugged James in the face, more blood spewing from his nose and lip. "You owe the dead! Own up to what you did!"

"Leave him alone!" Erza slammed into Gale and summoned a sword. Gale snarled before making a sword of his own out of earth. Erza attacked him with a scream, but Gale deflected her strike, slipped inside her guard, and slammed his elbow into her solar plexus. Gale then knocked Erza to the ground and bound her hands and feet in earth.

"Stay out of this Titania. This is between old friends." Gale turned back to James and roughly grabbed him. He punched James again. "Confess! Confess! Confess! Confess!" Gale accentuated each word with another punch.

"I killed them! I killed them all, alright!" James finally snapped. Gale halted his fist. Tears poured down James' face missing with the snot and blood that covered his bruised and bloodied face. "I was just a stupid kid. I wanted to surprise my parent; show them that I could do magic. I wanted to make them proud! But I messed up. I messed up the spell and let that demon in! I messed up and got everyone killed! I turned into that goddamn demon and I killed them all with my two bare hands!

"I killed everyone!"

Gale stood there in shock at the confession.

"I killed them all," James breathed, the tears flowing freely.

"James," Erza breathed.

Gale's face scrunched up in rage. "You arrogant bastard!" He threw James to the ground and kicked James. "You thought you could handle magic like that? Demon Take-Over Magic? You fool! You'll pay for your stupidity!" He continued to kick James breaking a few ribs.

"Leave him alone!" Erza roared as she broke free and shoved Gale away from James. She slugged him knocking him to the ground.

"Kill him won't bring your loved ones back!" Erza snarled. "It will only bring more pain! It will leave a mark on your soul. James is tormented everyday by what he did! He walks around with the weight of it and still manages to do good. He fights to keep others safe so that something like that never happens again. You killing him will change nothing!"

Gale glared at her, tears in his eyes, but made no further moves against James.

Rushing over to him, Erza held him in her arms. James' breathing was shallow and ragged, and he was covered in dirt and blood and bruises. His left eye was swollen shut and his upper lip was split open. Summoning a first aid kit, Erza got to wiping the blood and dirt from his face.

* * *

 _James stood in a burned out village. A light rain fell from the sky making everything a dull grey. Thunder rumbled in the distance but no lightning could be seen. James felt cold and empty. Reaching down he picked up a slightly burnt locket. The intricate scrollwork was melted and no longer discernable. Opening the locket, James saw a picture of a young family. The father was tall with short black hair, a strong jaw, and grey eyes full of mischief. The mother was thin with light blonde hair and joyful blue eyes. The boy was no older than four with unruly blond hair and blue eyes._

 _"_ _Mother… Father…," James whispered._

 _"_ _It doesn't have to end this way"_

 _James looked up see the shadow being before him. Only he was solid and clearly visible. Wearing dark iridescently purple armor similar to his Götterdämmerung armor with black skin and short silver hair, his glowing red eyes scanned James. James stiffened at how eerily the man resembled him, like a demonic version of James._

 _"_ _What?" James asked._

 _"_ _I said it doesn't have to end this way," the being said._

 _"_ _What do you mean?"_

 _"_ _You don't have to hide from your past any longer. I have seen the world through your eyes for the past fourteen years. I have seen the strength and weakness of humanity, the wonders of the world. I have seen you face all kinds of challenges and rise above them. If you are willing to accept me, that dark part of your soul, than I will lend you my strength. You will become stronger than before," the being explained._

 _"_ _Who are you?" James asked._

 _"_ _I am Darax, the demon you foolishly let in when you were seven. I am what powers your Götterdämmerung armor. I am what makes it so powerful, so dangerous," Darax explained._

 _"_ _You're that dark presence I always feel when I use it. That lingering whispering at the back of my mind," James whispered. Darax nodded._

 _"_ _That was you at Nirvana!" James growled. "The one whispering at the back of my mind telling me to kill them all, to kill everyone."_

 _Again, Darax nodded._

 _"_ _Why? Why have you done this?"_

 _"_ _It is my nature. Do you scold a dog for doing what comes natural to it? I am a being of death and destruction. Bloodlust is my very essence."_

 _"_ _Why should I let something like you in? I hate the mindless violence you seek."_

 _"_ _Then control me!" Darax snapped. "Give me a real reason to fight!"_

 _James just stood there dumbfounded. Darax grabbed him and pulled James close._

 _"_ _We demons are hated and reviled by all. Even you, who let me in, revile me despite my lending you my power for all these years. I am Darax of the Twilight! A being on the edge of light and dark. Use my power for good! Trust in me and you can become stronger than ever before. Strong enough to crush any who dare to harm your beloved Titania Erza or Fairy Tail._

 _"_ _Show me how to be more than just the demon you fear."_

 _James swallowed before he grabbed Darax. "If we do this, we do it my way. No more death, no more wanton destruction!"_

 _"_ _Rein me in and we won't have that problem," Darax smirked. "So do we have a deal?"_

 _"_ _Deal."_

 _Darax smiled and then held James tight, wrapping him in his arms. James screamed as Darax dissolved into dark magical energy and wrapped around James. He struggled as the energy absorbed into his skin. James screamed louder as his flesh morphed into his Götterdämmerung armor and magic exploded out from him._

* * *

James moaned as he regained consciousness. Then he immediately regretted it. Every square inch of his body hurt. It hurt to breath and he couldn't see out of his left eye. His left arm was stiff and he couldn't move it. His throat felt like a desert and waves of pain racked his body as he coughed. Forcing his body to move, James barely propped himself up on his right arm and took in his surroundings. He was in the tent he and Erza had brought with them. Dirty bandages lay in one corner along with washbowls, some medicine, and bottled water. Light poured in through the open flap of the door and a slight wind carried voices with it. While he couldn't make out the words, James did recognize the voices of Erza.

Images flashed through his mind as Darax fed him what happened during the battle. James winced when he realized he had really lost control again and had nearly killed Erza. The images only served to give James an ever worse headache and make him feel even worse about himself. He tried to sit up further but his strength failed him and he collapsed back to the ground with a thud.

"James?" Erza's concerned voice cut his heart. He didn't want to be the cause of such pain. James grunted as he tried to get back up as Erza rushed into the tent. She knelt beside him and gently held his head in her lap. He stopped moving as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Please don't move."

James looked up as he heard someone else at the tent's entrance. He frowned when he saw it was Gale.

"What's he still doing here?" James croaked. Erza reached over and grabbed a water bottle and held it to James' lips. He slowly sipped the water, choking on it for a second, but it helped with his throat.

"You should be grateful," Gale snipped. "You'd be a whole lot worse off if I didn't help Erza patch you up."

"I wouldn't be this messed up if you hadn't gotten involved, you demented bastard," James growled. He hissed as the effort hurt his ribs. "Why is he still here?" James asked Erza.

"I don't know. He just wouldn't leave. Guess he felt bad for beating the piss out of you," Erza glared.

"I just want him to leave so I can heal in peace," James said.

"I just wanted to make sure you survived," Gale whispered awkwardly. He refused to meet James' eyes. "I wanted to kill the demon you had become; avenge my family. I feel like I did that; I defeat your demonic form. I forgive you for what you did, but we aren't good. We never will be."

"I don't care. I just never want to see you again," James growled. Gale nodded, accepting it, and left with a slight wave. James watched him leave before sighing and closing his one good eye. "What did you tell him to get him to leave? He isn't over this."

"No, but he will move on. I told him that if he _ever_ comes near you again, I would personally cut out his heart and feed it to him," Erza whispered with barely concealed menace. James smirked, then winced.

"How long was I out?" He asked Erza after a few moments of silence.

"Three days," she breathed.

"And no one came for us?"

"Master knew we could handle it and he was also aware we wanted to take some personal time. The fact that we've been gone for almost a week now wouldn't have raised any red flags," Erza explained.

"I guess you're right. Sorry I ruined our weekend," James smiled weakly. Erza just shook her head and kissed his forehead.

"You did nothing wrong. It just seems our fate to be in the thick of it."

James nodded and reached out with his good hand to grip Erza's. She looked down at him, her scarlet hair falling in waves around her face. In the light she looked like an angel sent to protect him.

 _Gale must have hit me really hard. I'm really out of it_ James thought with a smirk. She ran her fingers through his hair before asking, "So are you going to tell me what all this was about?"

James closed his eyes and took a deep breath despite the pain it cost his ribs.

"I came from a village in the north that specialized in Take Over Magic, Beast Soul primarily, but there were a few who could use Demon Soul Take Overs. My father was one of the best; he had dominated dozens of demons and would have put Mira to shame. I wanted to be just like my father, strong and courageous.

"But in my arrogance, my childish innocence thinking I was invincible, I tried to use a spell I had found in one of my dad's old tomes, a simple Demon Take Over Spell that would have only summoned a weak demon, one easily dominated. But I messed up. I mixed up the wording and summoned a demon called Darax, a powerful being.

"He took control of my body, using it to remain corporal, and used my magic to create the demon form that is my Götterdämmerung armor. The Take Over caused a massive explosion of magic and destroyed my home." James shivered as memories accosted him. "I can still see the mangled bodies of my parents."

"You said the demon's name was Darax. How did you know that?" Erza inquired.

"I can still hear him. I can feel him on the edge of my mind; scratching at the edge of my consciousness; whispering at the back of my mind," James clenched his fist. He grit his teeth as he heard Darax laugh at the back of his mind.

"What happened after you were possessed?" Erza asked.

"Darax went on a rampage. He destroyed my entire village. No one was expecting it and Darax was merciless in his attack. No one was able to retaliate before Darax destroyed the place. Master Makarov was there, for reasons I still don't know, but he managed to defeat Darax and release me.

"I wanted him to kill me; I didn't want to live with the guilt of destroying my entire village and killing my parents. He refused. He told me to master my magic, to not let my parent's death be meaningless by trying to do something good with my magic and make them proud. So I did. I used their deaths as motivation to master my magic and never let something like that happen again."

Erza gently wiped the tears from James' eyes. "I think you made them proud. You've mastered your demons, faced your past, and done some real good in the world."

"I hope so."

* * *

"So that's what happened," James sighed. He leaned back in his chair and looked at the rest of Team Natsu. They had mixed looks of shock, anger, and disbelief. Lucy had tears in her eyes while Natsu looked like he was about to punch someone or something. Erza had helped James back to the guild after another day of recovery. Everyone had been shocked to see the mess James was in. They had immediately started asking a dozen questions. James had decided to come clean on the way in and ended up retelling his tale to the rest of his friends upon his arrival at the Guild Hall.

"Dude, that is insane," Gray breathed. "And I thought my past with Deliora was bad."

"James, I'm so sorry," Lucy whispered.

"It's fine. I've come to terms with it and I'm just going to become stronger so it never happens again," James said.

"Where did that punk go? I'm going to beat the piss out of him for what he did to you," Natsu growled. "No one gets away with beating on my friends."

"Stand down, Natsu. Gale is long gone and he won't be bothering us again. Now could someone please bring me a beer? I really need one," James groaned.

"Not in your condition mister," Erza snapped. James chuckled and gave her a quick kiss. Despite everything, his friends finding out the truth, that Darax was getting stronger, the future looked bright for once and James was ready to face it head on.


	42. Erza vs Erza

**Erza vs Erza**

James slowly pushed himself up as he realized he had regained consciousness. He could make out that someone was yelling at him, but his thoughts were a little foggy so he didn't understand who was yelling. The last thing he could remember was being in the Fairy Tail Guild Hall with Erza. They had been looking at apartments for rent in town. Staggered to his feet, James opened his eyes to see Gajeel.

"I was worried they'd fried your brains," Gajeel smirked.

"Gajeel?" Erza asked.

"Hey what's going on?" Gray asked. James looked around and realized they were no longer in Fairy Tail's Guild Hall but rather a city plaza surrounded by heavily armed guards and civilians.

"We can talk later. Right now we need to get out of here," Gajeel explained.

"Don't move!" The city guards charged them, spears at the ready.

"Mech Magic form Jaeger!" James snapped his arms back only to discover his Magic wouldn't respond. "Not good. Anyone got a Plan B?"

"I'll explain later!" Gajeel said with a mouth full of iron. He turned on the guards and barked, "Iron Dragon Roar!" A spiral of iron blasted the guards away allowing the four wizards to escape. They ducked down several alley ways and streets until they finally lost the guards and hid behind a store in a side alley.

"Spill," James stated. "How come we can't use magic but you can?"

"I'll let you once you take one of these." Gajeel held up a small vial filled with little red pills.

"What is it?" Gray asked.

"Enough already! Just tell us what happened," Erza snapped.

"The three of you had been turned into a giant lacrima."

"Told you it'd be easy," Gajeel smirked at the newcomer. Appearing from the shadows was a man in a suit and fedora wearing glasses.

"Indeed, but I'd expect no less form Earthland me. I knew you were the right man for the job." The man flicked up his hat to reveal he looked exactly like Gajeel. Only his hair was more well-kept, curling around his head and he lacked Earthland Gajeel's studs.

"There's two!" Erza cried in shock.

"Although we look alike, we are actually quite different," Edolas Gajeel stated. "Edolas Gajeel at your service."

"I got to say this guy's been a big help. Crazy how he looks like me. We're like twins!" Gajeel joked.

"Nevermind that! What do you mean we were turned into a giant lacrima?" Erza demanded.

"I know it's crazy but all the Earthland Fairy Tail wizards were turned into a giant lacrima. The knig wants your magic power. We had thought the one in the plaza held all your fellow guild members, it was so big," Edolas Gajeel started.

"Obviously we were wrong because it was only you three," Earthland Gajeel growled.

"The lacrima had a jagged edge, so I'm assuming it came from a much larger one," Edolas Gajeel mused.

"So many questions, I'm not sure where to start," Gray said.

"How about what those pills are," Jams stated.

"X-Balls. They allow you to use your magic here in Edolas," Gajeel explained. He gave one to Gray, Erza, and James. "Mystogan gave them to me."

"Creepy buggar." James swallowed the pill and sighed as he felt his magic return.

* * *

James, Gray, and Erza stood in a corridor deep under the castle. They had just interfered with Erza's Edolas self and several Royal guards from harming Happy, Carla, and Lucy. Edolas Erza wore a blue scarf and wore grey armor that only covered her legs and arms, and had a battle skirt and bikini top. She wielded a four pronged spear.

"Erza… Gray… James," Lucy breathed.

"You guys have got some explaining to do," Gray growled. "Where are our friends that your king turned into a lacrima?" Gray unleashed a blast of ice and captured several of the guards in it. Edolas Erza jumped up and then pushed off from the arch of the corridor trying to attack Gray. James however summoned a Schneider blade and blocked the strike. He forced her back though the effort seemed to tax him.

He cocked his head as he thought he heard a familiar voice yelling down the hall.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked.

"That's him alright. He's nearby!" Gray stated.

"It came from up ahead!" Happy cried.

"I bet Wendy's with him," Carla breathed.

"Go on. I can handle this." Erza stepped forward and brought her sword to bear.

"You sure?" James asked. "I can handle you just fine."

"You're still wounded from your fight against that demon and Gale. Plus we both know I am the better sword fighter," Erza argued. "The others need you more."

"Understood." James begrudgingly stood down and went to help Lucy. Edolas Erza attacked again, but Earthland Erza blocked her.

"You okay?" James asked as he knelt beside Lucy. Gray joined them and froze her shackles so they shattered freeing Lucy's hands.

"Yeah, I'm good," Lucy breathed.

"Where did you guys come from?" Lucy asked.

"Later. We need to move." James direct her and Gray down the hall and the three headed off for Natsu and Wendy.

 _Good luck my queen. I feel like you are going to need it_ James thought as he left Erza to fight herself.

"So where did you guys come from?" Lucy asked again.

"Gajeel freed us from the Lacrima in the city plaza," James stated.

"Seriously?" Lucy cried.

"How were you returned to normal?" Happy asked.

"Gajeel." James and Gray quickly filled Lucy in on how Gajeel freed them.

"That's right! Gajeel's a Dragon Slayer so it makes since the Anima didn't work on him," Happy cried.

"So all the Dragon Slayers were left in Earthland," James mused.

"According to Gajeel, it was Mystogan who told him to come here," Gray explained.

"I don't get it; why didn't he just come here himself?" Lucy asked.

"Because Dragon Slayer Magic is capable of doing things no other magic is capable of in this world," James stated. "They have the power to return everyone else back to normal."

"The other lacrima, we know where it is," Happy stated.

"Think you could get close to it?" James asked.

"Aye."

"Then we can call off Gajeel," Gray said. "He's currently rampaging through town looking for it. Sure you can lead him straight to the lacrima?"

"I'll take him there as long as you're sure he can change everybody back," Happy stated determined.

"Well he's the only hope we got. Natsu and Wendy can do it too, but neither one of them know how," Gray said. Happy nodded and took off to find Gajeel.

"Let's move." James, Gray, and Lucy continued running until they came to a large door at the end of the corridor. Gray and James shouldered their way through it to find Natsu and Wendy lying unconscious next to two large stone pillars with depictions of dragons carved on their surface.

"Damn," James growled. The Fairy Tail Wizards ran over and tried to wake their friends. He gently shook Wendy making sure she was still breathing.

"Might as well feed them some X-Balls while they're out," Gray suggested. James took one and gently slipped it past Wendy's lips. Both her and Natsu started coughing before coming back too, their magic returning.

"You going to live?" James asked Natsu.

"Yeah, but we got to hurry and stop them," Natsu growled.

"Stop who?" Lucy asked. Natsu let loose a roar of fire before taking off.

"Moron," James growled as he helped Wendy up.

"Hey Carla," Wendy said weakly.

"Are you hurt?" the faithful white cat asked.

"No, but… the others are in trouble," Wendy moaned. She struggled to get up.

"Take it slow," James instructed softly.

"It's horrible," Wendy explained. "The royal army is going to destroy Extalia by crashing the giant lacrima directly into it. All of our friends at Fairy Tail are in danger because the King of Edolas is going to use them as a bomb!"

"We're not going to let that happen," James growled.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but Edolas has islands that float in the sky. Apparently Extalia's magic power is what keeps them afloat. What's more, the book I ready says it's what maintains the magical balance of this entire world," Lucy explained.

"And you think that our guild mates might be stuck on one of those floating islands," Gray suggested.

"Yes. They're on one very close to Extalia," Carla explained. "Both Extalia and the lacrima are floating in the skies above the royal city which is where we are now."

"The Royal Army is planning to hit that floating island with a bunch of Dragon Slayer Magic. They want to speed it up so that it will crash directly into Extalia!" Wendy added.

"What'll happen then?" Gray asked.

"They're saying that when their powers combine it's going to cause a giant explosion in the sky and their magic is going to fuse together. Then magic power will rain down on the kingdom forever," Wendy cried.

"But if that happens all out guild mates will-!" Lucy gasped.

"Be lost forever!" Gray finished, eyes wide in shock.

The Fairy Tail Wizards turned back towards the doorway as the sounds of footsteps grew closer. James crouched down and covered his right arm in his Jaeger arm to fight whoever was coming.

"Someone's coming," Gray whispered.

"Guards?" Lucy squeaked.

Instead it was a shrieking Natsu; the Dragon Slayer having a look of abject terror on his face.

"You idiot! You scared us!" James barked slugging the fool in the face.

"Did you see that?" Natsu screamed not even fazed. "There were two Erzas! As if one wasn't enough! It's terrifying! A showdown between those two monsters? In that case the world is doomed, I tell yah!" That's when he finally realized that he had company other than just Lucy and Wendy. "Are you my Gray or weird Gray?"

"I don't know what you're talking about but if you don't cool it, you're going to get a left hook to the jaw pyro," Gray growled.

"Hey, that's right! You hit me!" Natsu growled turning to James. The glare James sent him though kept Natsu from retaliating.

"It's pretty obvious it's our Earthland friends," Lucy stated deadpanned.

"It's you guys?" Natsu cried.

"Bunch of stuff happened and now we're here," Gray explained offhandedly.

"Erza and Gajeel are here two," James added removing his armor.

"Happy's taking Gajeel to stop the lacrima," Lucy added.

"Huh, you're the real Gray! Why didn't you say so?" Wendy cried surprised. A look of absolute dejection and shock came over Gray.

"What?" Carla stated. "You mean you just now noticed?"

Wendy nodded.

"I get it. You didn't recognize me because it's so dark down here right? It's not because I'm some lameo whose practically invisible to you right?" Gray said trying to shrug it off.

"Wait a second!" Natsu interjected. "Didn't you just come down and save us a minute ago? Oh and you're okay too, Lucy!"

"I guess all you Dragon Slayers are oblivious," Lucy sneered.

"I'm sorry I offended you Gray!" Wendy cried trying to apologize. "Thank you so much for saving us!" She bowed repeatedly in rapid session.

"If you people are done screwing around, we have a Guild to save," James growled as he headed towards the door. That cut the shenanigans short and the Fairy Tail Wizards headed back out into the corridors to find a way to save their friends.

"Let's go find the king and stop him from crashing that lacrima!" Natsu declared. The others gave their affirmatives before heading down the corridor back the way they had come.

"No! Wait, we can't go that way! It's where the two monsters are fighting," Natsu cried, stopping them. "This way!" He pointed in a direction opposite the one they were originally heading.

"We can't just leave Erza to fend for herself," Lucy argued.

"Do you want to get in the middle of that?" Gray asked questioning Lucy's sanity.

"You make a good point," Lucy ceded.

"Erza can handle herself. We don't need to worry about her," James argued despite the slight pit in his stomach that made him a hypocrite. The others nodded before talking off down the hall. James nodded Wendy and Carla weren't following but he slightly overheard them talking about going to Extalia so he let them go. Wendy was a big girl and could take care of herself.

Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and James found their way upstairs and were soon running along a series of outdoor hallways with their outer wall a series of arching windows open to the air. The castle was a maze with no apparent design layout. They kept climbing and searching but they did feel like they were getting anywhere.

"Any idea where this jerk of a king might be hiding?" Natsu asked.

"Well seeing he's a king and all, I'd guess he's hiding in some high and mighty place," Gray stated.

"I was asking for specifics Frosty!" Natsu snarled butting heads with Gray.

"How should I know? Like I've ever set foot in this castle before. Cut me some slack would yah?" Gray argued.

Both received smacks upside the head from James.

"Focus!" He snapped. "Arguing will not get us any closer to finding the king and putting an end to this madness!" He noticed Lucy musing a few feet away. "Any ideas Lucy?"

"I just don't get the layout of this castle. It's not like anything we have in Earthland. It's so crazy, I wouldn't be surprised if they were hiding an amusement park in here somewhere," Lucy sighed. James grunted and gestured for the group to get moving again.

They headed inside and didn't get too far before they entered a massive room.

"There is one!" Natsu and Gray cried flabbergasted, their eyes about ready to pop out of their heads. James just shook his head at the sight before him. A large stone gateway with a neon sign saying E-Land separated them from a massive amusement park that took up enough space for a small village inside the castle. A Ferris wheel, a volcano, waterslides, and fun houses could be seen farther inside the park.

"Wow, I was just kidding!" Lucy cried.

"What the?" Natsu gasped. "This king is a total nutjob!" His jaw dropped and this crazy look came over his face.

"You don't have the right to call anybody else a nutjob with that kind of look on your face," Gray scowled.

The gang slowly entered the park looking for a way through. Suddenly the carousel ride to their left started to spin around and play music.

"Hmm, I just love carousels," a blond man with pompadour hair and a defined chin in pink armor grinned as he rode one of the horses. His armor accentuated his shoulders and left his thighs bare, his crotch covered by black spandex. He also wore a long white cape that attached to the back of his armor. "They're so much fun. Wanna give it a try?" He gave a smug smirk as he looked over the Fairy Tail Wizards' shoulders. A loud rumbling could be heard before the longboat ride swung forward and shoved the wizards to the ground.

"Who knew unlimited magical power could such a blast? It really sucks to know we're so close to running out of it good," a younger man stated as he rode the longboat. He wore a long white coat with blue shoulder pads and gold trim with matching pants. He wore a black argyle shirt underneath and had dark hair with a single stripe of white over his right eye. "Just the thought of it makes me mad. Real mad."

"Our kingdom is going to obtain everlasting magic power and we're willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen," Sugarboy sneered.

"I'd hate to admit it but we're desperate," Hughes sighed. "So if anyone gets in our way, we got to cut them down!"


	43. We're Talking About Lives Here

**We're Talking About Lives Here!**

"Will you be good animals and go back to your cages without a fight?" Sugarboy asked from his carousel.

"Dude, you don't give the cattle a choice. You just make them do whatever you want," Hughes chided. "We already took their powers so we don't have to handle with care. If Code ETD pans out like the old man hopes, well that just means that these old eye sores become a waste of space. And if there's one thing we excel that, it's clearing out the clutter." Hughes raised a baton and the entire boat he was on started to rattle. "Hope you're ready to meet your maker!" The boat gave a shriek as it came loose from its tether and came crashing towards the Fairy Tail Wizards.

"Incoming!" Lucy shrieked.

"Jaeger!" James snapped his arms back to be encased in his blue armor. "Fist of the War Monger!" He slammed his fist into the boat, shattering it, and deflecting the attack around his friends. Gray meanwhile had created a shield of ice to protect them from the flying rubble. Smoke and rubble obscured them from the view of their attackers for a moment, but when the it cleared the Edolas warriors were shocked to see James' new form and Gray's ice.

"Holy!" Hughes cried. "Where'd that robot come from? And that ice? Is that the power of Earthland Magic?"

"I thought their itemless magic was nothing but rumors," Sugarboy mused. He was still on a carousel horse, but tipped on its side. "Hm, its truly breathtaking to behold."

"This chumps combusting!" Hughes gasped as Natsu ignited to attack.

"And you will too!" Natsu snapped. He jumped into the air and slugged Hughes in the face with a flaming right hook. James lumbered over and kicked Hughes into the nearest building before the Edolas warrior bounced to the ground.

"Ready to give our friends back yet?" Natsu demanded.

"Sorry, that's not my call," Hughes stated. "Even if it were, it would take more than that to make me give up on unlimited power. You'll just have to face the fact your friends are history!" Hughes waved his baton.

"If you haven't learned how relentless we can be, I'll just have to keep beating the lesson in," Natsu growled. James heard a slight rumbling and turned to see a rollercoaster car heading for Natsu. Swinging out his left hand, James smashed the car with his armed forearm.

"Pay attention," James chided.

"Hell Tornado!" Hughes cried as he twirled his baton more. Natsu looked up to see more rollercoaster cars speeding around creating their own tracks. "My Command Baton allows me to control everything in this park from the rollercoasters to the creepy clowns."

"I don't care if it can make a castle do the cha-cha," Natsu smirked. He smashed the next car that tried to grab him. "I smash this rollercoaster and you're out of puppets."

"May want to rethink that strategy lava brains," Hughes smirked. "If you only thought I had one, you're a real fool. I got a whole symphony of Hell Coasters waiting for me to guide them to their next victim."

Natsu managed to dodge several while James smashed more before Natsu ended up accidentally jumping into one.

"When I get out of here you're going to be sorry!" Natsu cried as the Hell Coaster car grabbed him and held him in place.

"We take the safety of our guests seriously so please keep your head and limbs intact until your life comes to a complete stop!" Hughes grinned. James shrunk himself down to normal size and charged Hughes. The man dodged James' strikes rather well despite also trying to continue to guide the Hell Coaster Natsu was in.

"Pay attention to the enemy in front of you!" James roared as he slammed his magically enhanced fist into Hughes face. Blood spurted from Hughes broken nose and the boy staggered back. James turned as he heard the screams of Lucy as she went flying through the air before landing on Natsu's Hell Coaster and tried to help him.

James jumped back as two Hell Coasters slammed into the ground next to him. He frowned as Hughes sent a bunch of those creepy clowns he'd mentioned towards him. James slammed his fists together before twisting them so they faced opposite ways before slowly pulling them apart. Energy crackled between them before James slammed his fists back together in their original position.

"Jaeger Bomb!" James roared as he slammed his glowing fist into the ground. The explosion sent a shockwave forward that destroyed the clowns in an instant. Hughes paled as James jumped into the air and slammed his other fist into Hughes. The boy screamed as the impact sent him flying. Hughes' control over the rollercoaster now interrupted, Natsu and Lucy went careening into a pool. James rushed over towards them to make sure they were okay.

"You bastard," Hughes growled. James looked to see him standing on a wooden pier next to the pool. His left eye was now bruised and blood stained his lips. "You're going to pay for that." He wiped the blood from his lips before addressing Natsu and Lucy. "How do you like Edolas' magic? I know you think it's awesome. Just imagine if we hadn't turned your friends into a lacrima it would all one day vanish. Don't even want to think about it you know."

"So that's the reason you took them away?" Natsu breathed. "You're going to sacrifice our friends and destroy the Exceeds just so you can keep your little toys around?"

"That' about sums it up," Hughes smiled smugly. "There demise will bring our salvation to everlasting magic power."

"You think magic is some kind of cure all?" James roared as he grabbed Hughes and slammed him against the wall on the backside of the pier. "That magic is the be all to end all?" James removed his helmet so Hughes could see just how pissed James was. Hughes paled as he saw that James' eyes were red. "Magic is not this miracle cure to everything! It causes just as much pain and suffering as it does joy! It is not worth the lives of hundreds of human beings! Human beings just like you and me! You're willing to sacrifice their lives, human lives, simply so you can continue to have your little toys and maybe make life a little easier?"

"Let me tell you a secret," James whispered deadly quiet as tears started to pour down his cheeks. "I lost people very close to me because of Magic. I would give up every last drop of magic in my body, I would give up being a wizard for the rest of my life, to be able to see them again. To hear them laugh and be happy and to have them hold me once more time.

"I won't let my family die again for the sack of magical power!"

"That's your problem not mine pal," Hughes sneered. James roared as he drew back his fist.

"James get out of the way!" He turned to see Lucy put one of her Celestial Keys in the water. "Open Gate of the Water Bearer: Aquarius!" A flash of golden light herald the arrival of the blue-haired Spirit that bullied Lucy relentlessly. "Do your thing!"

Hughes kicked James off of him before raising his baton. The water spiraled up into a series of arches above the Earthland Wizards.

"What are you stalling for? "Lucy demanded.

"The water! I can't control it!" Aquarius cried.

"Haven't you been listening? There's nothing in this amusement park that I can't use as a weapn to utterly destroy you!" Hughes snarled.

Beams of light and water came flying towards the wizards and blasted them into unconsciousness.

* * *

James groaned as he came to in what appeared to be a large classroom filled with students who appeared to monsters from classical myths and legends. He found Natsu resting in the hands of Frankenstein's Monster.

"Hey where's Lucy?" Natsu asked as he coughed up a little water. A knocking from a coffin at the front of the room answered that question.

"Natsu get me out of this thing!" Lucy demanded nearly hysterical.

"This is no time to be playing in a box you know," Natsu chided.

"I'm not playing asshole!" Lucy snapped. "When I woke up I was already stuck in here so get me out!"

Natsu opened the door and stepped back in shock. James looked over his shoulder and his eyes went wide as he saw Lucy in a rather revealing genie outfit made from sheer fabrics and silk. Lucy glared and snapped at them for the weird looks so James pointed at her chest. Lucy looked down and gasped at what she saw. She immediately tried to cover up, not that it helped much.

"The Complete Transformation Actor's Box," James read from a little plaque on the side of the box. "Come with us and enjoy the land of fairy tales with some fun and exciting transformations that everyone will enjoy."

"This dial on the side controls the costume changes," Natsu added reaching for the aforementioned dial.

"My real clothes better be in there!" Lucy snapped before getting back in the box. Natsu turned the dial a couple times as they tried to get Lucy back in her real clothes. She ended up getting put in a sexy bunny outfit, a swamp monster costume, an orange floral kimono, and a swimsuit before she got sick of Natsu. She snarled and shoved him inside before putting him through the same torture.

While they were screwing around, James was looking for a way out and trying to recover some strength. He was also trying to calm down some more because he still wanted Hughes' head. No, not Hughes, James wanted King Faust's head. He could hear Darax's subtle laughter in the back of his mind and felt the demon's bloodlust raging through his veins. That bloodlust was calling for the death of all who dared to harm his family.

"Come out! Come out wherever you are! Earthland trash."

James turned towards a bolted door as he heard Hughes calling for them.

"Looks like he found us," Natsu growled.

"And you two are not dressed for a fight," James stated as he saw the two dressed in matching swimming outfits. "Something I should be made aware of?"

Natsu stiffened before an evil grin came over his face that gave even James some chills. "I just figured out how we're going to beat this guy."

* * *

Hughes entered the classroom and sighed as he saw they weren't here. "They must have been weaker than I thought if I made them fly this far away. Or they're setting up some lame ambush. Either way I'm not wasting another second looking for them."

"Hey," Lucy sighed. Hughes glanced over to see Lucy in a blue floral bikini with a matching skirt wrapped around her waist. She gave him a seductive smile. "What's up stud muffin?"

Hughes was unfazed however and raised his baton bringing the classroom full of monsters to life. They roared and attacked Lucy. She shrieked and took off down the hall. James sighed and descended from the rafters to smash a bunch of the monster animatronics with a blast from his Jaeger armor. Hughes laughed as Lucy ran screaming with still half the monsters chasing her.

"Guess we do this the old fashioned way," Natsu sighed, his plan backfiring completely.

"You want to throwdown inside my Monster Academy?" Hughes scoffed. "If you're that ready to take your final breath, then I'd be happy to oblige."

"How kind of you, but don't get cocky, I'm not ready to check out yet," Natsu smirked. Hughes light up his baton and a mummy proceeded to wrap Natsu up in bandages.

"Every monster in here is like a perfect soldier that will follow any order I give 'em," Hughes gloated. "Pretty sweet, huh?"

James glared before summoning a sword and cutting Natsu free. The Dragon Slayer threw a fireball and burned the mummy to the ground. Hughes paled again as Natsu's entire body ignited and he charged Hughes.

"Fire Dragon Talon!" Natsu kicked Hughes across the room. The boy snarled before sending the giant Frankenstein's Monster after Natsu. It went to punch him, but James interceded, taking the full brunt of the blow though it barely forced him down.

"That really the best you've got?" James smirked before ripping off the Monster's arm. It staggered back in mock pain before James blasted a whole in its chest with a Jaeger Bomb.

"He beat Frank?" Hughes blanched as he hit the back wall trying to get away from James. "Come to me now monster army! Defend your master with your lives!" The monsters that had been chasing Lucy returned with a vengeance and gathered around Hughes. He laughed thinking he now had the upper hand. "Let's see how you fair when the entire student body wants you in a coffin?"

The monsters slowly stalked towards the two Earthland wizards. They scowled at the monsters before looking at each other and nodding.

"Our turn now," Natsu snarled. He burst into a massive column of fire while James became surrounded by purple lightning and black shadows. They continued to increase their Magical output as the monsters balked and refused to come closer.

"Why are you standing around? Destroy them right now!" Hughes ordered. He froze however when he actually looked at Natsu and James. He could see the superimposed images of a dragon and a demon over the two as they unleashed large amounts of magical power.

"I'm freaking out here!" Hughes wailed. "Real monsters!"


	44. For Pride's Sake, The River of Stars

**For Pride's Sake, the River of Stars**

"So you think I'm a monster?" Natsu roared as he slammed his fist into Hughes' face. He and James had just finished up defeating Hughes' monster army and were now turning their attention towards the Edolas warrior. "You ain't seen nothing yet pal!" Natsu broke through the wall to the outside, slamming into some massive, slimy purple monster. James followed up by unleashing a blast of his Twilight of the Gods attack completely decimating the area around them.

"What the heck is this huge blob?" Natsu cried.

"You always know how to make an entrance," Lucy grinned from atop a sign pole twenty feet above the two Fairy Tail Mages.

"Who's that?" Natsu asked looking at a young girl wearing a yellow dress with blue sleeves and matching leggings and a green floppy hat. She held in her hands a key of some kind. It had teeth on both sides of the tail and the head had the cartoon depiction of a dragon's head.

"Is she okay?" Lucy asked.

"You know her?" James asked as he removed his Götterdämmerung armor.

"Can't say I really know her," Lucy explained. "Seriously are you okay?"

"This key is what he wanted," the girl explained. "It will turn on a machine that will kill all of your friends."

"Are you talking about that thing that will make that huge lacrima crash into Extalia?" Lucy asked. "But what are you doing running around the castle with it like this?"

"They said we could have everlasting power but I decided I wanted everlasting peace instead. SO please, please help me destroy it for good! I'm begging you!"

James stepped forward, his right arm becoming encased in his Götterdämmerung armor. Purple energy crackled along the length of his arm as he raised his fist.

"You made the right choice," James whispered with a soft smile. Tears poured down the girl's cheeks as she backed away from James. He brought down his fist with a roar only to have someone swipe the key half a second before his fist made contact resulting in him blowing a hole in the floor instead. James snarled and turned to see that pink armored bastard sliding off with the key.

"Stop right there Coco!" Sugarboy chided. "Even you have better sense than to hand something this important to the enemy of the kingdom. This key belongs to his majesty!"

"Sugarboy!" Coco cried in shock. "Give it back!"

"Stop right there! You hear me?" Gray came flying over the others on the back of a motorcycle.

"Of course I hear you; I just don't care," Sugarboy sneered.

"You're only going to make this worse," Gray snapped. "Listen up you guys! No need to worry about Mister Big Chin here. This one is all mine! Everything else is up to you!"

"We got to check up!" Natsu cried. The others nodded and took off after Gray and Sugarboy. They didn't get far before the floor started to turn to jelly and they sank into it. James snarled and activated his Valkyrie armor. His wings pulled him into the air and he tried to save the others but the massive purple monster buried them. James didn't want to abandon his friends but the key was more important right now. Natsu and Lucy could take care of themselves.

"What's that key for?" Gray demanded as James managed to get within earshot of him and Sugarboy.

"It activates the Dragon Chain Cannon," Sugarboy stated proudly.

"What is that?" Gray demanded.

"Sorry, that's classified," Sugarboy chuckled.

James poured on more speed shooting past both combatants before dropping in front of Sugarboy and Gray. Sugarboy's eyes went wide as he saw James in front of him. James smirked as he drew his silver greatsword.

"Heaven's Blade!" A wave of white energy slammed into the ground in front of Sugarboy causing him to crash into the wall. Gray spun out his bike before tossing it at Sugarboy like a missile. Sugarboy glared before raising his sword and making the motorcycle turn into jelly. Gray used the distraction to get behind Sugarboy.

"Now shatter!" Gray barked as he grabbed for the key and froze it in a crystal of ice. Unfortunately, the key didn't immediately shatter and now Gray and Sugarboy were trapped together, each with a hand trapped in the ice.

"What gives? Why isn't this thing cracking?" Gray demanded.

"This isn't just some flimsy little piece of junk," Sugarboy chuckled. "Now I'm not particularly fond of holding hands with other men for extended lengths of time, so could you please let you."

"You seem to forget we have the upper-hand here," James stated as he walked up beside Gray. "You're out-numbered and Gray and I don't really care if that key survives or not. Hell, Gray can freeze it in a block of ice so thick, we'll be long gone by the time you melt it out."

To prove his point Gray smirked and increased the amount of ice around the key.

"My Rosa Espada can soften anything it touches. I will just cut the ice away," Sugarboy growled before hacking away at the ice. It sprayed out like slush after each slash. James immediately moved in, grabbed Sugarboy's arm, and twisted it. Sugarboy cried out as James broke his wrist, forcing Sugarboy to drop his sword.

"Now let's see you stop us," James growled. Gray sneered as he increased the amount of ice and the key started to crack from the pressure.

"No! Stop! You don't understand what you're doing!" Sugarboy protested in near hysterics. "You need that key! Just as much as we do!"

"Hardly," James scoffed. He nodded at Gray. The Ice Wizards continued to chill the key, more cracks forming along its length.

"Let's call a truce before it's too late!" Sugarboy continued. James got sick of his whimpering and grabbed him by the collar.

"Now why would we do that?" Jams frowned. Darax was screaming in his ear making it hard for James to focus and keep his normal level head. He was going to have to have a serious talk with his inner demon later.

"Why?" Sugarboy asked incredulous. "Because you need it to. It's the only way you'll be able to turn your friends back to normal!"

"Bullshit," James breathed.

"It's the truth! The Dragon Chain Cannon fires condensed Dragon Slayer Magic. If you knew what that kind of magic could do in our world you'd see why you needed that key! Blast that lacrima with that cannon and you'll turn all your little friends back to normal. Do you finally get it now? That's why neither of us can afford for this key to break. You may need it more than I do!"

"You don't know anything," Gray argued. "We have three Dragon Slayers in our guild. Why would we need to use some stupid cannon when we have the real thing? So, sorry about your key, but its history."

"But the time it would take them to shatter that lacrima, it would be too late. As early as tomorrow it will begin to turn into pure magic power. Our plan was to plow it into Extalia before that happened," Sugarboy rebuked. "With three Dragon Slayers you could probably save a few more of your friends but you can't save all of them. In fact, most of them will not survive. What's more, neither will those scores of those innocent civilians the Anima absorbed along with your precious guildmates. What about them? Now let go."

"Thank you for your cooperation," James sneered before slamming an armored fist into the ice crystal. It shattered into a million pieces along with the key and the right arm of Sugarboy's armor.

"The key!" Sugarboy shrieked. He dropped to the floor and tried to scavenge all the pieces of the key. "Are you crazy? I wasn't bluffing you know!" He got up, reclaimed his sword, and charged James and Gray. "Do you realize you've just doomed your friends to be destroyed?"

Sugarboy struck forth with his sword, only for James to duck under his attack, slip inside his guard, and slam his armored fist into Sugarboy's abdomen. The man gasped before James slammed him into the ground. The Edolas warrior's armor cracked and broke under the force of the impact.

"That's where you're wrong," James stated standing over the downed warrior.

"We're taking them all back with us," Gray added. "We're going back to our world."

"That was the only thing that could save them," Sugarboy gasped as he struggled to breath. "And like a bunch of fools you went and demolished it anyway."

James and Gray just smirked. Gray held up his hand as ice formed in his palm. "Oh yeah? You know why I don't like to be called Ice Boy?" Gray smirked. "Because I'm an Ice Make Wizard." He easily created an exact duplicate of the Dragon Chain Cannon key.

"And I have yet to meet a machine I can't work on," James smirked. "So we're going to go rescue our friends now, you son of a bitch."


	45. The Apocalyptic Dragon Chain Cannon

**The Apocalyptic Dragon Chain Cannon**

"I told you I'm an Ice Make Wizard Chinboy," Gray smirked. "I can make anything." He frowned and turned to see Natsu barreling towards him and James.

"Hey Gray!" Natsu cried.

"What?"

"Can't run from me forever can you, bastard?" Natsu growled.

"We were a little busy." James threw his thumb over his shoulder to gesture at Sugarboy who was lying on the ground, most of his armor destroyed. "Where's Lucy?"

"Kind of stuck." Natsu scratched his head.

"Anyway, we have a plan to save our friends now with Gray's Ice key," James explained. Natsu stared at him blankly. James sighed before elaborating. "The king wants to fire his chain cannon at the lacrima so that it'll crash into Extalia. That's bad for us. However, if we fire the cannon directly at the lacrima, so the crystal takes the full force of the Dragon Slayer Magic, we can turn everyone back to normal."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Natsu grinned.

"I think the cannon is just ahead," Gray stated. "Just one problem though. We can't get inside the chamber."

"We'll just use our magic to blast our way in," Natsu argued.

"Won't work," James shook his head. "The door is supposedly made out of some kind of anti-magic lacrima. It's not going to be easy."

"Still think we should try anyway," Natsu argued.

"And if it doesn't work then what?" Gray asked. The sound of metal boots on stone floor drew their attention elsewhere for a second. Walking towards them was Erza Knightwalker and she looked pretty beat up from her fight.

"So, I found you," she said between heavy breaths. "And it seems you have the key."

"You're the Edolas Erza!" Gray gasped.

"Our Erza lost?" Natsu breathed.

James however walked straight up to Erza and stared at her intently. Erza blushed under the scrutiny before snapping at James.

"What are you looking at?"

"My queen," James smirked before tangling his hand in Erza's red hair. He leaned down and captured her lips causing both Gray and Natsu to look at him like he'd lost his mind.

"Are you crazy?" Gray snapped. "That's Edolas Erza!"

James broke the kiss, Erza blushing as she brushed some hair out of her eyes, revealing a small cut on her right cheek. James frowned before gently rubbing her cheek, just under the cut, inspecting the wound.

"How'd you know it was me?" Erza asked.

"I will always know my queen," James breathed before kissing her again.

"Hey if you two are done we have to save our friends!" Gray barked. James let Erza go only to stand by her side.

"So, does Erza _Knightwalker_ have a plan?" James asked. Erza nodded and motioned for Gray and Natsu to come closer.

* * *

"Glad to see you're unharmed, Captain Knightwalker," a guard stated as they neared the door to the Dragon Chain Cannon's command chamber.

"You idiot, she's obviously harmed!" another guard retorted. "Do you need assistance Captain?"

"Don't trouble yourself." Erza stopped in front of the guards. Behind her, knocked out and tied up were Natsu, Gray, and James.

"May I ask who these men are?" the first guard asked.

"Keys to the Dragon Chain Cannon," Erza explained.

"I don't understand."

"His Majesty is inside?" Erza inquired.

"Of course Captain," the second stated. The guards opened the gate, it slowly rumbling into the ceiling.

"We're very close men. Ever lasting power is within reach," Erza reassured the troops. Erza proceeded into the chamber. Dozens of guards stood in formation on either side of the cannon's command console. The King stood at the console itself. Twin busts of his face stood on either side of the cannon. A yellow stone with intricate circuitry ran from the floor into the ceiling high above.

"I've heard you've successfully retrieved the key," King Faust stated. "Is this true?" He wore brown robes that draped over his body and squared off his shoulders. Atop his long gray hair was a rounded miter with the crest of the Edolas Royal Family on it. Wide obsessive eyes sat above a long gaunt face with a long beard.

"Not entirely, your Majesty," Erza stated. "It was destroyed."

"Explain yourself."

Erza kicked Gray toward. "This one can fabricate a working copy."

"No way," Gray argued.

Erza kicked James forward. "This one claims to be able to work on any machine. He should be able to bypass the key's ignition."

"Bite me," James snarled.

"Who are they?" Faust asked.

"They are Earthland Wizards, sir," Erza explained. "Comrades of the Dragon Slayers."

"Is that so? Are they related to the lacrima that vanished from the plaza?" Faust demanded.

"They are indeed."

Faust thought it over for a moment before saying, "Free the first one and have him produce the kay immediately. I do not need anyone tinkering with my cannon."

Erza walked over and cut Gray free before putting her boot on James' throat and her sword at Natsu's. "Get up Earthland wizard and don't do anything rash." She accentuated her point by holding her blade a little closer to Natsu' neck. "You will activate the Dragon Chain Cannon."

Gray created the key to the amazement of the guards. Gray bristled under the attention before waking up to the lock that activated the cannon. He slipped the key inside and turned the mechanism. The whole contraption glowed, lighting up the circuitry and a carving of a dragon. The light slowly traveled up the cannon towards the ceiling. The eyes of the Faust busts light up with red light as the cannon charged.

"Yes! This is a glorious day for our Kingdom!" Faust laughed. Blinding light filled the chamber as the ground shook relentlessly. "Prepare to fire!"

"Now!" Erza released James and Natsu. Natsu burst into flames and took out a portion of the guards before Erza grabbed King Faust and put her sword to his neck. "I'm calling off the launch!"

James engaged his Panzer armor and leveled his many guns and missiles at the guards. "Any of you so much as blink and I'm putting a round through you."

"Traitor!" King Faust snarled. "How dare you? You are playing with fire Erza."

Erza simply requipped into her normal armor before addressing the assembeled. "My name is Erza Scarlet. I'm an Earthland Wizard."

"Nice job," Gray smiled. "Got pretty hairy there. Thanks to you, we can save them after all."

"I want you to aim the cannon directly at the lacrima!" Erza ordered.

"And I want you to fire it now at the original target!" Faust countermanded. The guards fell into disorder, torn between following Erza's orders and trying to save their king, and following the orders of their king.

"Fire the cannon! Forget about me and eliminate the Exceeds!" Faust roared.

"Change the target!" Gray barked. "Aim for the giant lacrima!" The technician in charge of aiming the cannon was torn between following orders and saving his king. Natsu came over and held a flaming fist under his chin.

"Change the goddamn target," Natsu snarled. The technician gulped before doing so, self-preservation winning out.

"You cowards! You're throwing away our chance for everlasting magic power!" Faust barked. Erza frowned and held her sword tighter against his throat drawing blood. The technician started to erase the coordinates before Natsu punched him.

"One more word from you and you lose your tongue," Erza hissed.

"I'm willing to die for my country! Can you say the same?" Faust growled.

"Scarlet!"

Everyone looked up to see the real Erza Knightwalker come flying down from the ceiling. Erza tossed Faust aside to deflect the attack. James managed to get a hold of him and pressed his pistol against the old man's temple while training his other weapons on the guards.

"Stand down all of you!" James roared. Both Erza's glared at each other as the guards tensely surrounded everyone. "Anyone does anything I don't like and you're going to have to find yourself a new king! Now set that goddamn cannon to fire directly at the lacrima!"

The technician nodded and reentered the coordinates

"Fire the goddamn cannon," James hissed.

"Don't do it you fools!" Faust barked.

"You were told to shut up!" James barked. He could hear Darax in the back of his mind egging him on to kill the king, end it all. James couldn't do it though. He wasn't about to kill a man because of a few misguided decisions.

Unfortunately, James had looked away from Captain Knightwalker when Faust had spoken up again. Faster than the others could react, Knightwalker struck at James, hitting him in the left shoulder, piercing his armor. Staggering back, James released his grip on Faust as he grabbed Erza's spear and tossed it away. The ground began to shake violently as the cannon finished charging and primed to fire. With a thunderous roar the cannon fired and everyone waited with bated breath for confirmation of where the cannon hit.

"Attachment complete!" A technician cried.

"Now smash it into the Exceed's kingdom at once!" Fasut ordered.

"Bastard." James staggered to his feet before unleashing a volley of magical bullets into the king, Knightwalker, and any unfortunate guard. Before he could do more, something big crashed through the outer wall. It was Lucy on the back of a very big blue flying monster with horns.

"Get on its back!" Lucy ordered.

"How is she in control of a Legion? "Faust demanded as the Earthland Wizards climbed onto the monster.

"Because this one's mine," Coco taunted from the beast's back.

"Are you alright?" Erza asked James as he shrugged off his black dress shirt to check his wound. It wasn't bleeding badly but it would impede his movement.

"I'll live," James hissed. Erza summoned a medical kit from her Requip space and quickly bandaged up James' shoulder. He moved it a little to check his range of motion before holding tight to the legion. It took to the sky and headed straight towards the lacrima. It was speeding through the sky, the Dragon Chain Cannon attached to its base. The cannon was forcing it to move through the air at a rapid rate, the air burning a dull orange around the massive lacrima. It would be mere minutes before it slammed into Extalia.


	46. The Boy Back Then

**The Boy Back Then**

"Come one! Let's go!" Natsu screamed from the front of the legion. It was flying as fast as it could to catch up with the lacrima as it plowed through the sky on a collision course with Extalia. The air around the lacrima burned from the large amount of friction being generated as the lacrima moved. The sun had set while the wizards had been inside the castle and while the night sky looked so peaceful and serene, the same could not be said about those involved in this calamity.

"If we can't stop it, everyone we know will die!" Natsu continued. The beast roared as it slammed headfirst into the lacrima, putting itself between it and Extalia. James ran towards the front of the beast jumping off its head. He engaged his Valkyrie armor and tried to push the lacrima away, his wings beating frantically to push the lacrima back.

"Give it everything you've got!" Coco encouraged.

"It's not working!" Gray cried. "There's too much mass and momentum!"

"If we fall, we'll do so with the rest of Magnolia!" Erza snapped.

"Don't worry we'll save you guys!" Lucy cried.

Natsu joined James and the legion next to the lacrima's base, a magic circle forming around him as he tried to push the lacrima back. Happy came flying down at some point and settled next to Natsu. James couldn't hear what they said over the roar of the lacrima as it continued on its deadly course, but Happy soon joined the others in attempting to push the lacrima back. Gajeel jumped down to help as well.

The sounds of crashing and shattering rock could be heard as the outer edges of the lacrima and Extalia's floating island connected. The two were finally so close that the others placed their bodies between the lacrima and Extalia and tried to push it back.

"It's not going to end this way!" Natsu roared. "Don't give up! We can still push this thing back!"

James roared as he changed into his Kleine Jaeger armor and used his augmented strength to push at the lacrima. He roared as he pushed harder, his body slowly growing until he was his full thirty-foot mech. He could feel the rock behind him shattering as he shoved with all his strength. The others cried out as they too tried to push the lacrima back. It had stalled but the Fairy Tail wizards were failing to push it back.

 _Not like this_ James thought. _I won't let it end like this. I won't lose my family again._

 _If you want to save them, you will need my help_ Darax whispered in his ear.

 _Fuel the Jaeger. Götterdämmerung is not needed here!_ James argued.

 _You stubborn fool, I cannot. My power can only fuel the Götterdämmerung. That is the way it has always been_ Darax argued. James snarled before he allowed dark energy to surround him. Before his armor could morph though, hundreds of bluish white light slammed into the lacrima. It was the Exceeds. James smirked as he suppressed his inner demon and felt the lacrima finally move away from Extalia.

The Dragon Chain Cannon stopped resisting as the Exceeds and Fairy Tail wizards finally succeeded in forcing the lacrima away. No longer being pushed by an external force, the lacrima coasted several hundred meters away from Extalia.

But it was not a time to celebrate. The lacrima lit up with bright blue energy that shot out the bottom and top blasting everyone away from it. James quickly turned to his Valkyrie armor and grabbed Erza as she went flying past him. Slowly the light and the wind died, revealing an empty crater in the floating island where the lacrima used to be.

"The lacrima," Erza breathed.

The island and the Dragon Chain Cannon that was attacked to it slowly faded away.

"It disappeared," Gray muttered. "Does that mean…"

"But what happened to all of our friends?" Lucy asked scared. "Did… Do you think they're…?"

"Don't worry. They're all safe and sound," a new voice said. Everyone turned to see Mystogan standing on a smaller, silver legion.

"Mystogan," Erza breathed.

"Sorry, for the delay," Mystogan stated. "Finding an adequate Anima vestige to restore everything took a bit longer than I thought. Without your efforts, I would have never made it in time. You have my gratitude."

"Everyone's back to normal?" Happy asked.

"Yes, by passing through the Anima again, the lacrima will return to its original form in Earthland," Mystogan explained. "It's finally over."

"Thank god. Everyone's safe," James breathed. While everyone around them cried out in excitement and joy, James held Erza tight as she comforted him. "My family is safe again." Erza smiled and rested her cheek against his, tears slowly flowing down both their faces.

Suddenly all the happiness was cut abruptly short as a tight purple beam of energy tore through the sky and Panterlily's abdomen.

"Lily!" Mystogan cried.

James turned to see where the beam had originated from. In the air behind them was the Edolas Royal Army on the back of dozens of legions. Erza Knightwalker stood at the front, her spear still smoking from the attack. She seemed to have cut her hair so it was much shorter.

"We're not done here! Destroy every last one of them!" Erza Knightwalker roared.


	47. Dragon Sense

**Dragon Sense**

"You pathetic traitor, you're not a noble Exceed, you're just a lousy Fallen. To think you'd forget your debt to our king and dare betray his orders," Erza Knightwalker growled as Panterlily fell from the sky. "Scarlet!"

"Let me handle this," Mystogan stated, stopping James and Erza from dive bombing the Edolas warrior. He then stated in a loud and noble voice, "I've had enough of your insolence, Captain Knightwalker. How dare you point your sword at me! The Royal Prince of Edolas!"

"Prince?" James and Erza breathed together.

"Hahahahaha! You? The Royal Prince of Edolas? Don't make me laugh! You don't deserve the title because I never thought of you as my son," King Faust voice declared over a powerful loudspeaker. "You have some nerve. You can't run off for seven years and then suddenly waltz back in as if nothing happened. Do you think you can fool me? I know you've been in Earthland sealing all of the Animas. You're a traitor and as such you must be punished for your actions!"

"Where is he?" James muttered.

"Your Anima Plan has failed. Please surrender peacefully," Mystogan pleaded. "You have no reason to fight anymore!"

"Ridiculous! Who says I need a reason to fight?" James looked down and spotted a glowing circle on the ground in the remnants of an old coliseum. A massive amount of magical power could be felt coming from that coliseum. "This is not a simple fight. No, this is retribution. The extermination of all who would dare to oppose their king." A silver capsule of some kind emerged from the ground. Chains tethered it to the ground.

"Since you and your mettlesome friends insist on standing in my way, I have no choice but to obliterate each and every one of you. Regardless of who you are." The chains released from the capsule and it rose higher into the air.

"Father, please," Mystogan pleaded.

"I'm not your father," Faust stated with finality. "I am the King of Edolas! If I dispose of you here and now, I will no longer have to worry about you sealing my Animas in Earthland. I'll be free to create another giant lacrima and fuse it with the Exceeds. Limitless magic power will be mine!" The capsule slowly unfurled to reveal a massive silver dragon machination. "Try as you might, there is no stopping me! I am the King! My power is absolute!"

"The Dorma Anim," Mystogan explained. "From our old language it means Dragon Knight. It's enhanced Dragon Armor."

"A dragon?" Natsu breathed.

James looked down and examined the Dorma Anim. It was giving off massive amounts of Magical Power. The machine easily stood twenty-five meters tall. It had heavily reinforced forearm and shoulder plating with stocky legs to support the entire thing. A long tail extended from the base of the Dorma Anim's back and its menacing red eyes glared up at the Exceeds and Wizards.

"It's enhanced armor made from an anti-magic lacrima called Wizard Canceller," Coco explained. "It's bad news for us because our attacks won't have any effect on it. The king must be inside of it. He's controlling the Dorma Anim's every move."

"As your king, I order you to capture the Exceeds at one," Faust ordered. He opened the mouth of the Dorma Anim and a barrel extended out of it.

"Yes sir!" The Royal Army charged forward.

"Hurry! Fly for your lives!" Mystogan shouted.

The Army fired at the Exceeds with a series of blue energy blasts that turned the poor Exceeds into cat-shaped lacrima.

"Do what you can to protect the Exceeds!" Erza ordered the others. "We're going after Knightwalker!" The other nodded and moved to help the fleeing cats.

"I will obliterate you all! Be gone!" Faust fired a massive blast of silver energy from the mouth of his Dorma Anim. Mystogan intercepted the attack with a Magic Circle generated from his staffs.

"Mystogan?" Faust cried in disgust. "Don't tell me that's the name you chose to be called in Earthland! Your name is Jellal!"

"Erza! Get out of here while you still can!" Mystogan ordered.

"What about you?" James asked.

"Forget about me!" Mystogan returned his attention to Faust. "Three Layer Magic Circle!" He reflected the attack back at the Dorma Anim but when the smoke cleared the machine wasn't even scratched.

"That tickled," Faust taunted. "Behold this is the power of the great Wizard Canceller. You can attack with all your might but it will not stop me! The Dorma Anim is impervious to all form of Magic!" Faust fired again and this time the blast connected, knocking Mystogan from the sky. "Hahaha! The mighty prince has fallen! I'm sure he'll feel right at home crawling around with the other pests!"

The Dorma Anim continued to fire more and more blasts causing the others to dodged wildly.

"This is ridiculous." James snarled and landed on top of the legion with the others. "Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy, you're with me," he ordered.

"What are you planning?" Erza demanded.

"That bastard king says that thing is impervious to magic, but I'm willing to bet Dragon Slayer Magic can destroy it. I'm taking the Dragon Slayers down there and we're taking it out," James growled.

"But you don't use Dragon Slayer Magic!" Erza snapped.

"No, but that thing is first and foremost a machine. I have yet to meet one I can't work on," James stated. "We'll distract the king while you deal with Knightwalker and protect the Exceeds."

Erza frowned before grabbing James and kissing him long and hard. "You come back you hear," Erza breathed.

"I promise," James whispered before he and Fairy Tail's Dragon Slayers fell off the legion and free-falled through the sky.

 _The only way you are going to be able to damage that thing is through Götterdämmerung_ Darax whispered in James' ear.

 _Explain._

 _It is powered by demonic energy. Similar to Dragon Slayer, it is a primal magic unlike normal magic._

"You'd better be right," James muttered under his breath.

Natsu impacted the Dorma Anim first. He drove his fist into the machine's back, forcing it to a knee. Gajeel hit the ground and slammed an iron blade into the machine's chest. Wendy soared overhead and unleashed a blast of wind that knocked the Dorma Anim sideways.

"I don't understand. The Dorma Anim shouldn't be affected by their magic," Faust snarled.

The three Dragon Slayers regrouped around James who stood there cloaked in purple and black energy.

"You are going to pay for harming our friends and family," James growled. He slammed a fist into the ground and the energy exploded as James grew to his full height in the Götterdämmerung. The Dorma Anim took a small step back as it took in the demonic visage of the demonic mech.

"Dragon Slayers on me!" James charged forward and slammed his fist into the Dorma Anim. "Twilight of the Gods!" The resulting explosion actually managed to force the Dorma Anim back, the armor slightly scuffed.

"Oh swift wings that speed through the heavens!" Wendy created magic circles under Natsu and Gajeel. "Vernier!" Natsu and Gajeel surged forward and slammed into the Dorma Anim with their hand attacks. The machine staggered under the assault before James smashed his fist down its throat destroying the cannon.

"No! No! No! Why is this happening? Why is the Dorma Anim taking damage?" Faust cried.

"Come on! Fall already!" Gajeel growled as he slammed into the Dorma Anim again. He and Natsu continued to dent the armor as James powered up another attack.

"I call upon the power of stout arms that cleave the heavens! Arms!" Wendy increased the attack power of the others allowing them to actually put holes in the Dorma Anim's armor.

"Twilight of the Gods!" James slammed his fist right into the core of the Dorma Anim, denting it and forming slight cracks.

"It's her," Faust growled. "You're done for brat! Launch Dragon Rider Missiles!" A section of the Dorma Anim's tail opened up and a volley of missiles launched from it. Wendy quickly cast Vernier on herself but didn't get far before tripping on some rubble. The missiles were about to impact but Natsu intercepted them, detonating them with a few blasts of fire.

"Natsu! Gajeel! Help me punch of hole in this bastard. We're shutting him down like we did with the Dragonoid!" James ordered. The others nodded and quickly got to work. Back when the Dragonoid had attack Magnolia and Natsu was trapped inside, Gajeel and James had punched a hole in the machine's side so James could get directly at its circuitry. James was good with machines, able to analyze and figure out how they worked and be able to take them apart and improve them normally. But when he was in his Mech Forms he could interface directly with the machines.

Doing so with the Dragonoid, he had shut it down and made it cough up Natsu. The hotheaded Dragon Slayer had gone on to get his revenge on Daphne shortly afterwards.

The Dorma Anim fired more missiles but Natsu and Gajeel destroyed them. Natsu smirked as he ate the resulting fire while Gajeel tore into the Dorma Anim's tail. They complained that the elements tasted really bad but it helped replenish their reserves.

James rolled his shoulders before slamming his fists together. Twisting them, he slowly pulled them apart, purple lightning crackling between his fists. Slamming them back together, he finished the spell, only the magic was all consolidated in his right fist.

"Twilight's End!" James' voice rolled like thunder as he slammed his fist into the Dorma Anim's core again. This time the armor shattered and James was able to grip its power core.

"You're mine now," James sneered.

"I think not!" Faust raised the fists of his machine and slammed them into James' shoulders. He pounded away at James as the Earthland wizard tried to shut down the machine.

"Leave him alone!" Natsu roared as he slammed his fist into the Dorma Anim's arm. He and Gajeel kept beating away at the Dorma Anim, preventing it from attacking James. James growled as he tried to force the Anim to shut down, but something was resisting him. Was it the Wizard Canceller? It didn't work on Dragon slayer magic but James' was using something akin to technopathy to interface here.

 _Why won't it shut down?_ _Where is this power coming from?_ James thought. He snarled and decided to focus on at least shutting down the weapons systems. Those he was able to shut down. Just as he was about to do more, Faust finally kicked him back.

"Such power," Faust muttered. "I will not rest until I have the power of the Dragon Slayers for myself!" The air began to become dark as energy flowed into the Dorma Anim. The machine slowly changed before their eyes, becoming black and more humanoid. It was slowly cloaked in black energy from the ground itself.

 _That explains why I couldn't shut it down. The Dorma Anim uses the energy from around it to operate. Its power source is external_ James grimaced.

"Witness the power of Dorma Anim: Black Heaven!" The machine gained a shield and sword and now looked like a black knight in dragon-like armor. Its tail descended from the base of the neck. "I've got you now!" Faust charged forward but James blocked the strike with his forearm. Natsu jumped up and slammed a fist against the machine's shield only to be brushed aside.

"It's that all you've got?" Faust laughed. He slammed the shield into James' gut forcing the mechanized warrior back. "Can you feel it? This absolute magic power? It's spectacular! Don't bother falling to your knees and begging for your lives! Stay right where you are so I can watch you tremble in fear!" The knight's sword began to glow with a deadly purple light. "You can't stop me! I am the one dragon you cannot slay!"

The Dorma Anim slammed the blade into the ground and the world exploded into the bright light.


	48. O Living Ones

**O Living Ones**

Things were not going well for James and the Dragon Slayers. That initial strike from the Dorma Anim: Black Heaven's sword had knocked James out of his armor and dazed the others. Even though James had managed to shut off the weapon systems for the Dorma Anim, the Knight's current form seemed to run on a separate network. The king was throwing them around like ragdolls as his machine continued to suck magical power out of the ground.

"You're pathetic!" Faust taunted. "You don't stand a chance of winning!"

"Everyone in this world is suffering cause there's no magic power," Natsu groaned as he got to his feet. "I want to know why their crazy king has more than his fair share of it."

"You'd be hard-pressed to find a king who hasn't imposed a tax on his people," Faust chuckled. "That's how monarchy works my boy! The Dorma Anim requires a constant influx of magic power! So its gathered from all over the world! That's why it was sealed away. It's a forbidden weapon. Now that I've activated it, the fate of this world is dependent upon my victory."

"You don't give a damn about this world," James growled as he got to his feet.

"You just want all that power for yourself," Gajeel snapped.

"One of the reasons I joined Fairy Tail was so that I could help others. To be honest I couldn't care less about what happens to your stupid world, but I do care about what happens to everyone who lives here. So I'm about to kick your butt for them!" Natsu cried.

James slammed his fist into the ground again and reengaged his Götterdämmerung armor. Lightning crackled around his fists as he charged towards the Dorma Anim. He caught the knight's sword on his forearm and then slammed his fist into the machine's shield as it came around. Natsu and Gajeel attacked the machine from behind. The knight staggered and gave James an opportunity to slam his fist into the knight again.

"Twilight of the Gods!" The impact destroyed the Dorma Anim's shield. Snarling Faust shoved James back.

"Fire Dragon Roar!"

"Iron Dragon Roar!"

"Sky Dragon Roar!"

Three blasts of elemental energy slammed into the Dorma Anim forcing it to stagger further back. James barreled towards it and slammed a shoulder into the Dorma Anim, knocking it off its feet and crashing it into the collapsing wall of the coliseum.

"Twilight of the Gods!" James slammed his fist into the Dorma Anim's core, shattering the armor, but unable to incapacitate the machine. Faust snarled and slashed at James. The mechanized warrior dodged the blow and jumped back from the Dorma Anim.

"I refuse to yield!" Faust roared. He forced the Dorma Anim to its feet. The knight raised its sword and fired more energy. James snarled as the beams impacted his arms. Gajeel and Natsu charged forward and smashed the Dorma Anim with their arm attacks. James slugged the machine again, knocking it back down. Natsu and Gajeel charged at it but the Dorma Anim started to glow red and blasted back the two Dragon Slayers with beams of energy.

"I will have ultimate power! None of you foolish children can stop me!" Faust slammed his sword into James forcing him back before getting to his feet, the Dorma Anim radiating power. It unleashed another powerful blast of magic that slammed the Dragon Slayers into nearby rubble and James into a wall that then collapsed on top of him.

 **I'm Standing Right Here**

"Earthland Wizards are a fortunate lot indeed. They possess unimaginable power because they are born with an internal spring of magic. Then there are the Dragon Slayers; your power surpasses even the most absurd concept of magical limitation," Faust growled. "That power will belong to me! With it I can replenish this world's supply." Faust sneered as he regarded the worn out warriors. "Hahaha. It appears you could live up to your namesake. As long as I possess the Dorma Anim, I am God! My army will pave an inexorable path of conquest in both worlds! I will reign supreme!"

"Thing about being a god," James growled as he got up. "There is always a demon who will bring your reign to an end."

"I see there's still some fight left in you! Your power is truly remarkable and I shall savor every ounce of it! Prepare yourselves Earthland Wizards!" With a gesture of his sword, Faust caused the ground to light up and then explode with purple light. It blasted the Dragon Slayers into the air and knocked James back, denting his armor and making it bleed oil in various places.

"I need more," Faust moaned. "I call to thee, oh heaven and earth, I ask that you relinquish all your power to the Dorma Anim." More tendrils of black energy twisted through the air and were absorbed into the Dorma Anim's sword. "Can you feel it? The last remnants of Edolas' power are vanishing. That means your time is up! I must harvest your power immediately!"

"Salamander you got to roar! Kid you too!" Gajeel ordered. The other two nodded as they staggered to their feet. "Ready?"

"Fire Dragon-"

"Iron Dragon-"

"Sky Dragon-"

"Roar!"

The three attacks mixed together, twisting and swirling through the air as they barreled towards the Dorma Anim. The breath attacks impacted with so much destructive force that it filled the air with smoke and rubble, obscuring the Dorma Anim for several seconds.

"Got him," Gajeel sneered.

Celebration was cut short when laughter could be heard from above. Looking up they saw the Dorma Anim high in the sky.

"Dragon Light Defusion Cannon!" Dozen of energy blasts fell from the sky and bombarded the Earthland Wizards. The Dragon Slayers cried out in pain as the Dorma Anim crashed back to the ground.

"For the world, for my beloved Edolas, you worms couldn't possibly understand our plight!" Faust argued. "You have an abundance of the one thing we desire most! The citizens of Edolas have no use for Guilds. They would serve no purpose here. What they need is everlasting magic power! And I'm determined to give it to my people! I want them to experience the bliss you Earthlanders have kept for themselves!"

"Do you even hear yourself talking?" James growled as he dug his way out of the rubble that had offered some protection. "Have you not seen all the pain and suffering you've caused in the name of Magic? Like I told your lackey, Magic is not this wonderful thing that will solve all of your problems! It causes just as much pain and suffering as anything else! You don't need it! This world will survive without magic!"

James roared as he slammed his fist into the Dorma Anim pounding away at the mechanized knight. "I refuse to yield! You deluded selfish bastard! I'm not giving up until you learn that sacrificing the lives of others, destroying half the world, is not the answer to finding unlimited power!"

"You piece of filth! You need to learn your place!"

"Come on! Hit me! I'm standing right here!"

The ground detonated beneath James, bathing him in flames.

"I am the King of Edolas! Bow down before me!" Faust roared.

"You're the one who's going to learn his place!" Gajeel slammed his fist into the Knight's foot, pinning the machine. "Because in the end, it's going to be on your knees!"

"Curse you!" Faust snarled as he tried to free himself. Raising his sword, Faust planned on slicing Gajeel in half.

"No you don't," James breathed. He used the last of his power to slammed his fist into the knight's elbow and shattered the joint before wrapping his arms around the knight's neck and left arm. "Natsu now!"

"Wendy, roar at me with everything you've got!" Natsu jumped into the air as Wendy primed her attack.

"Insects let go of me!" Faust struggle against Gajeel and James.

"Sky Dragon Roar!" The attack hit Natsu and blasted him towards the Dorma Anim at breakneck speeds.

"Fire Dragon Sword Horn!" Natsu smashed right through the weakened armor of the Dorma Anim and ripped Faust right out of the machine. James groaned before throwing the machine to the side, a large tear in his own. He fell to his knees before his armor collapsed. He clutched his bleeding and bruised side. It hurt like Hell, but he'd live.

King Faust tried desperately to crawl away from Natsu who was glaring at him like a feral animal. Gajeel came over and helped James to his feet and together the three Dragon Slayers and him stood over Faust. A look of pure terror came over the old man's face before he collapsed, passed out cold.

"Haha! We totally took down the king!" Natsu cried in excitement. "This is the part where I get to yell checkmate, right?"

"That's before you twit," James hissed. Natsu immediately came over and looked at James wound.

"Sorry, man. I didn't mean to hit you as well!" Natsu apologized.

"It's fine. We had to make sure we took down the king. I was willing to make the sacrifice," James smirked. "Besides, I'm really in no better shape than you three." The others were covered in just as many bloody cuts and bruises as James from all the explosions the king had thrown around.

Suddenly the ground started to shake.

"Now what?" Gajeel asked. "Better not be reinforcements; I'm out of power."

"Up there! Look!" Wendy cried, her hands covering her mouth in shock. The others looked up to see the many floating islands that hovered above Edolas were in freefall towards the ground.

"The floating islands are falling," Natsu breathed. "What the hell?"

Yellow tendrils of light started to flow towards the sky. It all was heading towards one central point high above the city's center.

"That's magic," James whispered. "All the magic that's left in Edolas is gathering in the sky."

"What's causing it?" Gajeel asked. James shrugged, not having an idea in the slightest.

"We should probably head back to the city," Wendy stated.

"Why?" Natsu asked.

"If the citizens start to panic, people could get hurt in the hysteria," James explained. "Trust me. Mass Hysteria is not something you want to see."

"We need to go see if we can help!" Wendy added.

"Maybe if we find this world me, he may know what to do" Gajeel added. They all nodded in agreement and took off towards the city. All around them the islands continued to fall, creating craters and shrapnel, dust and rubble filling the air.


	49. Bye Bye Edolas

**Bye-Bye Edolas**

Yellow Magic tendrils continued to flow into the air towards one central point above the Royal City as James and the Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers approached the edge of the city. People were screaming and running around in absolute terror. The ground cracked here and there as magic broke through. Chunks of rock, the once flying islands above Edolas continued to slam into the ground adding to the destruction.

James hissed as his side burned in pain. He couldn't ask Wendy to heal him, none of them could, the poor girl, like all of them, was completely drained of magical power. Natsu and Gajeel were in just as bad of shape. The battle against King Faust had really taken its toll on the Earthland Wizards. To prevent the King from causing more trouble, Natsu had slung Faust over his shoulder and was carrying him into town.

"Wait!"

The four wizards looked ahead to see a black Exceed wearing a suit and the habit of pawing at the air coming towards them.

"Oh, its Sir Nadi," Wendy stated in slight surprise.

"Wait!" Nadi came running up to them gasping for breath.

"What the matter cat?" Gajeel grunted.

"Prince Jellal is planning on sacrificing himself!" Nadi exclaimed. "He's the one responsible for causing all of Edolas' remaining magic to disappear. Now he plans on having Pantherlily execute him before the citizens. Jellal's going to claim responsibility for his actions in an attempt to rally the populace. You must save him! We cannot allow the Prince to die! We need him!"

"Mystogan you fool," James breathed. Then louder he said, "Come on. We can fix this."

"How?" Natsu asked.

"By saying it was us. One Dark Wizard and his three Dragon Slayer minions," James elaborated.

"Hey, why do you get to be in charge?" Natsu demanded.

"Because I can't maintain my armor forms. I'm totally drained. You three though, might be able to put up a bit more of a show," James explained. Gajeel and Wendy nodded.

"Come on." James grunted as he stood upright and clutched his side. "We have an apocalypse to be responsible for."

* * *

James stood atop a residential building as the citizens of Edolas ran in terror below him. A tattered black cloak flapped around him.

 _Time to put on a show_ James thought.

 _Let me help_ Darax smirked in his ear. James shivered as he felt demonic energy pulse through him. His hair turned long and silver and his eyes turned red. He let loose a laugh that slowly built until it was a maniacal cackle.

"I am the demon Darax and I've come here to steal all of your magic power!" James roared in a loud voice. Immediately all the citizens in the area stopped running in fear and gasped as they watched him. "Faust is no longer your king! I have dethroned him! You bow to me now!" To prove his point, James gestured to King Faust who was now tied to a post that had been driven into the roof of the building.

"He only continues to breath because I will it." James sneered. "For now." James frowned as the people protested. "Dragneel! Redfox! Marvell! Come forth my faithful servants! Now is the time to destroy this pitiful city!"

Explosions ensued in the nearby areas as Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy antagonized the citizens. Natsu and Gajeel gleefully destroyed homes, while Wendy tried to terrify the people in the crowd. Gajeel and Natsu helped in making people run for their lives in fear.

"These villains won't stop until they've destroyed everything in sight. The city is under attack by demons from another world!" Edolas Gajeel exclaimed, further inciting the ground. James could just barely pick out his worlds from above, but he gave a slight smirk knowing someone was helping incite the mob even more.

"Just look at them!" Edolas Gajeel continued. "They're an unstoppable force of evil!"

"Keep destroying the city! Don't stop until everything is naught but rubble!" James barked. "This world's magic is mine!"

"Give us our magic back right now!"

"Be careful what you wish for," James sneered. Darax sent another pulse of magic through him, an effort that taxed them both, but allowed James to encapsulate his right arm in his Götterdämmerung armor. James thrusted his fist out and sent a blast of energy into the roof opposite him. Rubble fell but James had aimed carefully so that no one would get hurt.

"James! Stop this now!"

James stiffened and turned to see Mystogan/Jellal standing on a balcony of the nearby castle. A shush fell over the crowd but a few people still muttered in confusion.

"No one orders me around worm," James snarled, his eyes flashing.

"Stop this foolishness! The king has been defeated. There's no need to attack innocent people!" Mystogan/Jellal stated.

"See that's where you're wrong," James snickered. He fired another blast; this time directly into the crowd. It exploded in an opening in the crowd, enough to scare them, but no one was seriously hurt.

"No! Don't!" Prince Jellal cried.

"You don't scare me," James frowned. "Prince or no Prince. I bow to no one."

"Prince Jellal is back!" Edolas Gajeel cried loudly for all to hear. A hush of disbelief swept over the crowd.

"Come and fight me! Or I will have my demons raze this city to the ground!" James barked.

"James! Stay right there!" Jellal jumped over the balcony's banister and ran towards the troublemakers. James sighed and muttered, "Did you hear me? I am the demon Darax."

James jumped down and grunted as the shock of the impact jarred his injured side. He could hear Edolas Gajeel further inciting the crowd as Jellal ran towards him. Jellal tried to cast a spell but it failed horribly.

"Scared without your magic?" James scoffed. "You should be!" James detonated another blast into the side of the building next to him causing half of it to collapse in on itself.

 _Be careful_ Darax warned. _You continue to use our magic like this and we will collapse._

 _Got to put on a good show_ James smirked.

"Listen to me James. You're making a big mistake with all of this," Prince Jellal stated. "This whole show that you're putting on. You can't expect to fool all these people."

"Humanity is naught but a bunch of sheep blindly following the man in charge. Tell a good enough lie and they will gladly accept it instead of facing the horrible truth," James explained softly. Then in a loud voice he exclaimed, "I challenge you!"

Surging forward, James sucker-punched Jellal in the face. The force of the impact knocked Jellal onto his back.

"You fool; you can't bring the people together like this! Through evil!" Jellal got to his feet and threw a punch of his own. James snapped his right fist up, his magic failing causing his armor to dissipate, but he still caught Jellal's fist with little effort.

"Please," James snarled. "Fight me for real." Jellal cried out as he twisted and slammed his foot into James chin. James staggered back from the blow and released Jellal. The crowd cheered on their Prince.

"Now, they're getting into it," James smirked.

"Idiot! You should have stayed down so we wouldn't have to stretch this out," Jellal stated exasperated.

"Not this time," James breathed. He slammed his fist into Jellal's abdomen, driving the wind out of the Edolas Prince. Jellal managed to return a punch before James could hit Jellal again. Staggering back, James deflected another strike and went for an uppercut, stopping his fist a hair's breath away from Jellal's chin.

The two held the position, neither willing to move.

"This is the end. Time for the Fairy Tail Send Off. Since you're leaving Fairy Tail, you have to swear to follow these three rules; Number One: Never share sensitive information about Fairy Tail with anyone as long as you live!" James pulled his fist back before slamming his elbow into Jellal's head. The Prince staggered back allowing James to continue his onslaught of punches and jabs. Jellal willing gave ground.

"Number Two: You must never contact any clients you may have worked for in the Guild for your own personal gain!" Jellal slugged James in the face and then forced the mech warrior back. James barely ducked a high kick before forcing Jellal back. The two came to a standstill in the middle of the opening in the crowd, neither willing to give ground. They threw punches, jabs, and strikes, only to have them be blocked or deflected.

"Number Three!" James managed to slam his fist into Jellal's gut, stunning him. "Though our paths must stray, you have to promise to live the rest of your life to the fullest."

Jellal straightened up, raised his fists above him, and then drove them down onto James' shoulders forcing James' knees to buckle.

"That means to treat every day like it was going to be your last day in this world," James breathed. "Don't forget the friends you loved."

"You must treasure them for as long as you live."

James and Jellal threw one last punch at each other. Both connected solidly. James groaned, staggered, and collapsed to the ground. Jellal managed to stay on his feet. He glanced sadly down at James.

"Thank you," Jellal whispered.

The crowd erupted in jubilation as their prince won the fight. But it would do nothing to stop their magic from disappearing forever. The three Dragon Slayers came over and surround James. Gajeel and Natsu helped him up, but they offered no resistance to Jellal.

Suddenly their bodies started to glow and then they floated into the air.

"What's happening?" Wendy asked.

"Don't know," James coughed. A little trickle of blood escaped past his lips.

As they floated higher into the air, they passed Gray, Lucy, and Happy.

"Hey, what's up guys?" Natsu asked nonchalantly.

"Natsu! Good to see you pal," Gray stated. Happy gave a cry of delight and hugged his life-long friend.

James just sighed and closed his eyes allowing his body to float away.


	50. Lisanna

**Lisanna**

"We're back everybody!"

James groaned as he rolled off of the pile of bodies. He and his allies had all landed in the woods just on the edge of Magnolia. A steady drizzle was still falling from the sky. Erza immediately came over and held him.

"You idiot, why did you let this happen to you?" Erza asked with slight tears in her eyes. James was bloodied, bruised, and in desperate need of rest and medical attention.

"Someone had to do it," James coughed. "Fighting Faust was bad enough, but Jellal, Mystogan, he was the one who caused all the magic to return here. Someone had to take the fall for it. He had a people to lead."

Erza just shook her head and held James closer. Gray came over and tapped them on the shoulder. Looking up the two saw that all of Magnolia had been restored to its rightful place.

"Haha! Everything's back to normal!" Natsu cried.

"Wait, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Erza chided. "We shouldn't celebrate until we know everyone is safe."

"They're just fine."

The gang looked up to see dozens of Exceeds floating above them.

"We got here a while ago so we went and decided to check on them for you."

"Everyone is doing great!"

"They didn't even know they had been turned into a lacrima!"

"Earthland is totally awesome!"

James just groaned and fell back as the toll of the past few hours was really getting to him. He didn't have the energy to be surprised over a bunch of flying cats.

"What are they doing here!" Carla protested. "It's not right! The Exceeds don't belong in Earthland! We cannot allow them to stay here! They are far too dangerous! They should return to Edolas."

"They're homeland's gone so they have nowhere to go. I think that we should forgive them," Wendy stated.

"No! Never!" Carla was adamant.

"We're sorry for throwing rocks at you."

"We have no place to go now that Extalia's been destroyed."

"We promise that we'll be nicer to you now."

"Please say you'll forgive us."

"This has nothing to do with you kids!" Carla snapped. "It's her! I'm angry because Extalia's queen and her lackeys sent to Earthland to kill the Dragon Slayers."

"I know! The queen ordered all of us to give up our eggs! How could she be so heartless?" A white Exceed with a goatee cried in outrage.

"Yeah no joke. She never even told us why," another adult added.

"I can assure you that she had a most honorable reason to do so," one of the elders stated.

"I remember the moment vividly. It was six years ago," a second elder added.

"As I mentioned before Queen Shagotte has the ability to glimpse into the future. It is both a gift and a curse. One day, she foresaw that Extalia would fall. That our kingdom would be destroyed. We now realize that Extalia was bound to fall via natural means due to the exhaustion of magic power. However, at the time we believed our homeland would be destroyed by the humans," the first elder explained. "Queen Shagotte ordered we save the children."

"Save the children?" the white Exceed cried.

"You don't mean?" His doting wife asked.

"Wait a minute. That's a way different story than the one we were told. You aren't lying to us, are you?" Happy inquired.

"No young man. To prevent panic amongst the people, we carried out our plan without their knowledge," the second elder stated.

"The queen then issued the false proclamation," Elder One explained. "It was merely a cover-up for our plan. We felt horrible for making the Queen lie to you like that."

"Yes, but we had no choice," Elder Two stated.

"We simply could not go public with the knowledge," Elder One said. "That our beloved Extalia might come crashing to the ground. Despite what you've heard, I assure you that we have no ill will towards the Dragon Slayers whatsoever."

"Don't worry. We know," Wendy stated. "You just needed something to do along with the story you told them."

"You knew everyone would panic if the truth got out so you had to make something else to tell them," Lucy stated sadly.

"We get it," Gray added.

"We made use of the humans' Anima to successfully carry out our operation." Shagotte explained. "However something completely unexpected happened with one of the eggs. We had no idea, you Carla, possess an incredible power."

"Me?" Carla breathed.

"Yes," Shagotte stated. "As it turns out, you possess the same prophetic power as I do. Unfortunately, you didn't have conscious control over it and as a result it clouded and confused your memory. Out of the one hundred Exceeds that we sent away, only you had this gift. I suspect that you began to see scattered fragments of Edolas' future.

"Your gift caused you to mistake that information as your personal mission."

"I was wrong," Carla whispered.

"Wait, does that mean…?" Happy started.

"The two of you were never given a mission," Shagotte finished. "It was just your way of trying to make sense of all the strange thoughts and images in your head. You were sent here because we wanted to protect the next generation. Nothing more."

"So those were all prophecies?" Carla whispered.

"For whatever reason, we thought you'd be better off if we hid your prophetic powers from you. Therefore, we had no choice but to make it seem as though we were controlling you. We beg your forgiveness," Nadi said.

"At the time we honestly thought that was the only way we could embellish the Queen's illustriousness. However, now we deeply regret it," Nichiya said.

"The show of false bravado that I chose to put on for the citizens and humans in the face of hardship is what caused you to suffer," Shagotte continued. "No. I didn't just cause your suffering, I brought anguish to all of the families I took eggs from six years ago. Now you understand. That is why I handed the sword to you. I swear Exceed kind had nothing to do with this. It was my fault alone."

"It wasn't you fault your Majesty!" Nadi protested. "No one is to blame!"

"You shouldn't be held responsible when you were only doing what you thought was best for the citizens for Extalia," Nichiya stated.

"Yeah, we're just as much to blame as you are Queen Shagotte because we were so full of ourselves," one citizen added.

"But now that we're in Earthland we can make things right again."

"Let's go out there and find all the Exceed children that were sent away six years ago!"

The Exceeds all took to the air and flew off.

"That you everyone," Shagotte bowed.

"Well okay. Then in that case, I forgive you," Carla relented. "But tell me, how did I end up possessing the same prophetic power you do?"

Shagotte and her advisors shifted uneasily and avoided answering the question.

Despite that tension though, the remaining Exceeds and gathered members of Fairy Tail started to get along a little better. Until Nichiya started to hit on Erza and James had to throttle the cat. James hissed as he stressed the torn muscles in this side. Erza quickly got out her medkit and bandaged him up.

"Thanks." James kissed her cheek before removing his dress shirt and handing it to Erza. She giggled and shrugged it on. While Erza had no issue wearing clothing that barely covered her or her fellow guildmates seeing her naked, it slightly bothered James to have her running around like that. So out of deference to him, Erza covered herself up a little. James, himself, shrugged the cloak he had donned back in Edolas a little closer to stave off the cold.

"What do you say we head back to the guild?" Natsu asked.

"Sounds good, but what are we going to tell everyone?" Lucy asked.

"Nothing," Gray stated. "Since they got no clue that anything happened, why bother telling them?"

"That's a good point but I think we should tell them about Mystogan, don't you?" Erza stated.

"We got a problem," Gajeel stated. "Where the hell is my cat? Don't tell me those flying felines took Lily with them?"

"Are you blind? I'm right here!"

The group looked over to see a tiny version of Patherlily. He was now the same size as Happy and Carla. He kept the crescent scar by his left eye, but wore green pants, had bandages around his stomach, and little round ears.

"So tiny!" Everyone cried in shock.

"You look cute that size though," Happy stated trying to make light of the situation.

"Unfortunately it appears that my previous form wasn't well suited for Earthland," Panterlily explained.

"Obviously," Carla stated. "And that doesn't bother you?"

"Well, normally it would, yes, but right now I want to join the guild that took care of my prince." Panterlily pointed at Gajeel. "You promised me! You said you'd get me in Gajeel! Can you?"

"Consider it done buddy! Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Gajeel cried in excitement, tears of joy pouring down his face. After a few minutes, Gajeel put Patherlily down. The black Exceed fixed his fur before continuing.

"Now, on an unrelated note, I happened to come across a suspicious person." He tugged at the rope he had been holding.

"What an overachiever," Gajeel commented. "You're definitely my cat, alright."

"Come here!" Pantherlily ordered. He tugged the rope harder and out of the bushes came someone the wizards of Fairy Tail never thought they'd see again.

"Hold on! It's not what you think! Please let me explain!" A white haired young woman in a blue strapless top and matching skirt with a white sash cried in protest. She gave a cry of pain as she fell to her knees. "Ow, that hurt." Glancing up at the others, the girl said, "I'm not suspicious! I'm a member of Fairy Tail too."

"It's Lisanna," Natsu breathed.

"Don't be so rough with me cat!" Lisanna snapped at Pantherlily. "Wait. Are you an Exceed?"

'The name is Pantherlily," Pantherlily explained.

"If you got a problem with my cat, you'll have to take it up with me, lady! Well?" Gajeel snapped getting in Lisanna's face.

"Wow, she looks just like-" Gray said taken aback.

"LIsanna," Erza finished for him.

"No way," Happy breathed.

"It can't be," Carla argued. "Perhaps she's the one from Edolas?"

"How in the world did she end up here?" Lucy asked.

"What should we do?" Wendy cried.

"Everyone calm down," James stated. He hissed as his side protested him moving, but he walked over and knelt beside Lisanna. "I think we should hear her side of the story. Remember, when our Lisanna died, Mira and Elfman never brought back a body. We could only assume she had died."

Then LIsanna made a very unexpected move. She tackled Natsu in a cry of joy.

"Natsu, it's you," Lisanna whispered, tears in her eyes. "I'd though I'd never see you again." Natsu could only look on in silent shock at the person who claimed to be his long-lost childhood love. Lisanna pulled Happy into a death-grip of a hug next. "Happy, you're here too! I thought I'd never see you again. I missed you so much." She turned to the others. "It's been so long since I've seen everyone. This makes me so happy. Oh, you must be the two new members of the guild I haven't met yet. The little one looks like Wendy and the blonde must be Lucy."

"As exciting as this must be for you," James stated, "we really do need answers. If you're our Lisanna as you so imply, how did you end up in Edolas and then back here?"

"Our Lisanna died two years ago. How could she be her?" Erza demanded.

"The truth is I didn't actually die that day," Lisanna stated softly. "Two years ago, when I went on that mission with Big Brother Elf and Big Sis, after Elf got taken over and hurt me, I remember lying there in pain as Mira cried over me. She was saying something about me glowing as her voice faded away. I felt myself becoming weightless. At that moment I must of suddenly been pulled away by an Anima. I'm not sure but I assume there were little ones all over Earthland back in those days.

"It was a real shock when I awoke in Edolas. I managed to find our guild. I was confused because everyone looked so different. But I recognized all the people there. They welcomed me because they thought I was the Edolas Fairy Tail's Lisanna. I could only assume that she'd died. Everyone seemed so surprised to see me. It was as though I'd come back from the dead. I didn't know what to say. I was thoroughly confused at the time, but looking back on it, I think I understand why the Anima pulled me in. It was simply trying to fill a void in Edolas. A void caused by the other Lisanna's death. I couldn't find it in my heart to tell them the truth. So I pretended to be Edolas' Lisanna.

"There was some confusion at first. I would apologize and tell them my memory was hazy. I tried my best to fit in and it got better as I learned more about Edolas. It didn't take very long to get accustomed to my new life there. Two years passed quickly and then Natsu and Happy showed up out of the blue six days ago."

"Why Lisanna? I don't understand why you didn't bother to tell us the truth then?" Natsu argued.

"It wasn't the right time," LIsanna stated looking away. "But, when the Anima started to pull all the magic out of Edolas, it took me along with. Elfman and Mira of Edolas understood and were willing to let me go even though it was painful for them."

"Now it all makes sense." James stood and looked up into the sky. "Come on. There's some people you need to meet."

* * *

"Mira! Mira! It's me! Hey Big Brother Elf!" LIsanna ran as fast as she could towards her siblings as they stood around Lisanna's grave at Kardia Cathedral. The rest of the Fairy Tail members stood back by the trees to give the Strauss Siblings time together. Both Elfman and Mira watched on in shock and disbelief as Lisanna came towards them. Elfman dropped his umbrella in shock. Tears filled the siblings' eyes as they embraced.

"Welcome home," Mira breathed as she held her little sister.


	51. He Who Extinguishes Life

**He Who Extinguishes Life**

A stunned silence came over the guild hall as Lisanna walked in. Sounds of disbelief and shock could be heard and confusion covered people's faces in varying degrees.

It didn't last long before a swelling roar of joy erupted and people rushed to hug LIsanna. Elfman grabbed his sister and pummeled those who tried to get close.

"It's such a relief to see the guild back to how it was before," Lucy smiled.

"Yeah, no joke," Gray added. "And it seems they don't have a clue about the Anima stuff."

"I'm just glad to see they're safe and sound," Erza breathed. James nodded beside her as he gently interlaced his fingers with hers.

"So this is what it's like to be in a guild," Pantherlily stated in amazement.

"LIsanna," Master Makarov stated in slight disbelief.

"Master!" Lisanna cried.

"I was so worried. I consider those who have been raised by this guild my own children. Every parent worries about their children and every parent has faith in their children. You can fill me in on all the details another time. Same for the rest of you," Master stated.

"Sure thing," Natsu nodded.

"Today we'll all celebrate your return to Fairy Tail!" Master beamed.

'Oh, thank you." Tears started to form in Lisanna's eyes and she got chocked up. "I just can't believe it. I've come home and I'll never leave again."

"You can child. For no matter where you go, this will always be home. Welcome back Lisanna, dear." Master smiled proudly. A resounding chorus echoed him. Lisanna cried and then tackled Master, hugged him tightly and cried in joy. Master smirked and soon the festivities began in earnest.

James lightly pulled Erza towards a table on the edge of the depression of the common area. One of the younger members brought over some drinks and a piece of Erza's favorite strawberry shortcake. She smiled and dug in as James sat in silence. Gajeel, Wendy, and their Exceed companions came and joined them after a few moments.

"They certainly are a rowdy bunch," Pantherlily stated in exasperation.

"I think that's most people's first impression of Fairy Tail," Carla said scratching her head.

"So everyone here possesses a magical power of some sort?" Pantherlily asked.

"That's correct," Erza stated, licking her fork clean. "The same holds true for all Earthland Wizards. However, I don't think it's the magic itself that's most important. I believe it's the hearts of those who wield it. Wouldn't you agree?"

"You might be a different person, but it is comforting to see a familiar face," Pantherlily smirked.

"I got a wager for you and the little girl, Salamander!" Gajeel cried as a thought struck him. "Bet you my Lily can beat the ever-loving crap out of your puny cats!"

"Yeah?" Natsu growled.

"Your kitty up to the challenge?" Gildarts laughed.

James saw the despairing look on Wendy's face and gave her a sympathetic smile. Natsu went and got right in Gajeel's face however.

"Go ahead and make my day yah punk," Natsu growled.

"I will," Gajeel retorted.

"Do we have any say?" Happy interjected.

"Ain't no way you guys can beat my Lily. He's the strongest with a capital 'S'," Gajeel argued.

"We'll see about that cause Happy cat with a lowercase 'c'," Natsu stated in his arrogance.

"Natsu, you know I don't stand a chance against him!" Happy whined.

"Don't sell yourself short, Happy. You can't give up when you haven't even tried," Carla said trying to boost Happy's morale.

"Despite my current appearance, I was a division commander back in Edoals. I few were to fight, you could be seriously injured," Lily argued.

"I must say, that was quite mature of you," Erza applauded.

"Only because they're childish," Panterlily explained. He turned to Happy and Carla. "I hope the three of us can be friends from now one."

James had been quiet this entire time, ignoring the usual roughhousing and antics of his fellow guildmates. He's thoughts were on the future. Before Edolas, Erza and he had discussed moving in together. They had narrowed it down to several nice apartments for rent in the area. Sitting there thinking, James thought he had decided on one. He just needed to broach the topic to Erza.

"What are you thinking about?" Erza asked with a slight nudge. James started out of his day dreams and blinked.

"What?"

Erza smirked and decided to let it drop and held James hand, gently rubbing her thumb over his knuckles. She frowned however when she spotted the brawl taking place in the middle of the guild hall.

"Boys," Erza growled.

"Is it possibly bad that I actually want to join in?" James inquired. Erza gave him a surprised look.

"You? Join a mindless fight?"

"Eh, I think it's the others rubbing off on me," James shrugged. He stood and rolled his shoulders before flexing his still bad left arm. "Care to join me?" Erza smiled before nodding.

"It would be fun to let loose. Some carefree fighting would be nice." The two got up and joined in the fighting. James head straight for Natsu and clocked him.

"Hey!" Natsu froze at the calm smirk on James' face.

"What? Scared to hit me?" James taunted.

"No way!" Natsu cheered as he swung at James. The S-Class mage ducked under the strike and slammed his foot into Natsu's gut. The Dragon Slayer let out an _oomph_ before striking at James again, grinning. James dodged again and tripped Natsu. Erza stepped in and put poor Natsu into a headlock.

James felt someone behind him just before a thick arm wrapped around his neck.

"Gajeel. What a surprise."

"Hehe, come on metal man. Show me what you got." Gajeel smirked wildly. James grabbed Gajeel's arm, pivoted his shoulder and hip into Gajeel, and then threw the Iron Dragon Slayer over his shoulder. Gajeel grinned as he got up before coming at James again.

Chaos continued to ensue for the rest of the day and long into the night. Eventually it died down as the alcohol and fighting wore everyone down and they collapsed wherever was remotely comfortable. And in some places that weren't.

* * *

"James where are we going?" Erza demanded. She was currently blindfolded and letting James lead her to the edge of town. In the end, she had left the final decision of finding an apartment up to him. While Erza had been staying at Fairy Hills ever since she had joined the guild, James had been living _in_ the Guild Hall. While it was extremely unorthodox, Gramps allowed it because James was so nervous and shy around others when he joined. Later, it was simply a matter of preference.

"Here we are," James stated. He stopped leading Erza and stood behind her to untie her blindfold. Erza stiffened as she saw the building.

"Oh, James it's perfect," Erza breathed.

Before the two stood a single story cottage made from whole logs that gave it a very rustic feel. The exterior wood was polished smooth and dark green shutters hung open by quarter-paned windows. A matching door and roof made the cottage look like a tree.

"Come on. You need to see the inside," James smirked. He led her inside. The first room was a large living area with stone fireplace. A small pile of wood was stacked next to the fireplace. A large couch sat in front of the fireplace and a simple chandelier hung just behind the couch. A coffee table sat between the couch and fireplace. Next to the living room was a small kitchen with an oven with stovetop, sink, bar countertop, and additional table for six.

There was a small hallway that led to a master bedroom with master bath. Two smaller guestrooms were opposite the master room. James figured Erza and he could use them as storage for the moment. An armory and personal hobby room.

"James, this is perfect," Erza squealed and hugged James. He held her tightly and whispered, "Glad you like it." He separated himself slowly from Erza and pulled a little black box out of his pocket. Erza stiffened as she caught sight of it, apprehension in her eyes. James gave her a disarming smile and gently placed the box in her hand. With a slightly scared look, Erza opened the box and then breathed a sigh of relief when she saw a tear-shaped sapphire pendant that was the exact same hue as James' signet ring.

"It's beautiful," Erza breathed. Then she punched James in the arm, his bad one. He hissed in pain. "Don't scare me like that!" James gave her a lighthearted smirk before taking the pendant and hanging it around her neck. He swept her hair out from under the thin silver chain and then brushed a loose strand from her eyes. Erza blushed as she touched the cool sapphire where it rested between her breasts.

"Sorry I didn't think to get you anything to celebrate our new home," Erza whispered.

"It's okay." James gave her a light kiss. "How about we go break in the bed?" Erza couldn't help but giggle at the mischievous grin on her boyfriend's face. Kissing him fiercely, she let James guide her down the hall to the bedroom where a king sized bed with thick beige blankets sat. Erza pushed James onto the bed before straddling his hips. She slowly unbuttoned his black dress shirt as she kissed him passionately. James buried his hand in Erza's long hair and held her waist tight to him. James trailed kisses down Erza's neck before rolling them over, wrapping the blanket around them. Erza moaned and recaptured James' lips.

"I love you," Erza breathed.

"I love you too."

* * *

James growled as a steady knocking on the door woke him up. Bright morning sunlight streamed in through the window and bathed Erza's cream colored skin. James smirked as he remembered all the fun they had yesterday afternoon and all through the night. The persistent knocking however interrupted his musing. Kissing Erza's bare shoulder without waking her up, James got out of bed and put on some pants.

Running his fingers through his hair, James opened the door to reveal Master Makarov.

"Morning my child," Gramps stated in his sagely voice.

"Morning Gramps," James yawned.

"Sorry, if I woke you," Master apologized. "But a mission came by yesterday that I feel either you or Erza would be perfect for."

"Understood."

Master dug a rolled up flyer out of his pocket and handed it to James. He took it, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Have a nice day." Master waved as he headed back to the Guild Hall.

"You too," James mumbled. He headed back inside to see Erza standing there in black panties and his dress shirt. She had a certain glow about her this morning and a wistful look on her face.

"Who was it?" she asked brushing her hair back.

"Master Makarov. He brought a mission he'd like one of us to take," James explained. Erza nodded and headed into the kitchen to make breakfast only to discover the kitchen was completely empty.

"James," Erza said slowly. "Why is there no food?"

"I just signed the lease two days ago. I haven't had time to get food," James argued. Erza just sighed and sat at the kitchen table with a pout on her face. James came over and cupped her cheek. "Come on, don't pout. We can just go over to the guild hall and get some food. Then we can go food shopping."

"Alright. Let me put on some clothes and we can go," Erza stood up and removed James' shirt before she used Requip to change into her blouse and skirt. James just shook his head and returned to the bedroom to finish putting on his clothes. Erza waited for him outside. James locked the door and wrapped his arm around Erza's waist. Together the two headed into town and headed to Fairy Tail.

The guild hall was quiet this morning but people were still bustling around looking for jobs and food. James ordered food while Erza found a table. James noted that Lucy was arguing with Natsu over what job they were going to take next.

"Morning James," Mira stated pleasantly as he approached the bar. "What can I get you?"

"Some pancakes would be nice. Make sure to add extra strawberries to Erza's," James said with a wink. Mira giggled and nodded. James fished some jewels out of his pocket and handed them to Mira. He then rejoined Erza at their table. She had a wistful look on her face. James smirked and sat across from her. He reached over and interlaced his fingers with hers. Erza squeezed his fingers in response but seemed lost in thought.

James let her stay there.

Kinana came over soon enough with the food: Two plates heaped high with pancakes, one with a large handful of strawberries on top and whip cream while the other had lots of syrup and cinnamon.

"Here you guys go! Enjoy!" Kinana giggled.

"Thanks," James said. He gave Kinana some jewels as a tip which made the little girl beam. She skipped off to help her next customer. James turned back to his food to see Erza nibbling on a strawberry in a seductive way. James leaned across the table and kissed Erza which causing the redhead to blush.

"Get a room," Natsu growled as he walked past, hands behind his head. Lucy smiled and then blushed as she saw the glow around Erza.

"I guess you two had fun last night," Lucy winked. Erza blushed and James focused on his food. Giggling Lucy chased after Natsu. Erza and James silently ate their breakfast.

"So what's this job Master wants us to do?" Erza finally asked as she whipped the last of the whip cream from her face. James pulled the mission flyer out and the two looked it over.

"Looks like a village west of here that's having some issues with a small time Dark Guild by the name of Wolf's Fang. They seem to be harassing the local merchants, travelers, and just making a general nuisance of themselves," James explained. "You want it or should I take care of them?"

"What's the reward?" Erza asked.

"Fifty-thousand jewels."

Erza nodded appreciatively but said, "I think you can take the mission. I'll stay here and work on stocking and furnishing the cabin."

"Want some money for food?" James asked. Erza shrugged so James once again reached into his pocket and deposited several thousand jewels on table. "That should help. This mission shouldn't take long so I hoping to be back either late tonight or some time tomorrow afternoon."

"Alright. I make sure to take special care moving your things," Erza added as she got up.

"Thanks. I'm going to grab a few supplies and then head out." James gave Erza a quick kiss before heading up to his room. He changed into fresh clothes before grabbing his travel bag and hitting the road.


	52. Search and Destroy

**Search and Destroy**

The town was called Lavender. It was a central hub for the train networks and roadways in the area so as a result it was a bustling hub of commerce despite is small size. James had jumped off the train about a mile from destination and was taking the road in. James frowned and came to a stop about a hundred meters from the edge of town. Three men were standing on the edge of the road; all wore fur trimmed pants and jackets, two were bald while the third had slicked back yellow hair. Each of them carried a different firearm.

 _You don't look suspicious at all_ James thought. _They make it too easy._ The road was lined by thick trees that blocked the late morning sun and provided a large amount of shadows. James slammed his fists together in front of his stomach. "Mech Magic form Schnitter." One of his lesser used armors, Schnitter was pure black armor. His helmet gave him the appearance of a masked hooded figure, the faceplate a completely smooth opaque surface that absorbed all light. A small cloak hung on his left hip and thicker armor plating covered his forearms.

Moving in complete silence, James slipped into the shadows under the trees, his armor's ability allowing him to move through them and turn invisible. Moving like a shade, James approached the three strangers and listened in on their conversation.

"Damn, this is so boring. Nobody's come around today," Blondie whined. He bounced his shotgun on his shoulder lightly. "Why'd the boss give us this boring job? I'd rather be at the station. Always people coming through there."

"It's cause Ricky here screwed up the protection collection last week," Bald One snipped at Bald Two. One had a very large pistol; Two had a long rifle.

 _Definitely members of Wolf's Fang_ James thought. _Between the hardware, clothes, and the guild mark, there's little doubt._ On the back of the jackets James could make out a profile depiction of a wolf's head with accentuated canines. Definitely the guild he was after. _Now I just need to distract them._

Looking around James found a few acorns lying on the ground. Picking a handful up he picked a spot on the other side of the road. Holding an acorn between his fingers, James whipped it through the air like a bullet. The acorn slammed into a tree with a resounding _swack_. Immediately the three Wolf's Fang members snapped their heads towards the sound.

"What was that?" Blondie growled.

"I don't know," Ricky muttered.

"You two go check it out," Bald ordered. The other two grumbled but shuffled over there. They slowly walked into the woods looking around for the source of the noise. James whipped another acorn deeper into the woods with deadly accuracy. The two jumped and then headed deeper with their firearms drawn.

"You guys see anything?" Bald called out.

"Not yet!"

Bald grumbled and started to join them. James emerged from the shadows of the trees and grabbed the Wold's Fang member. James wrapped his arm around the guy so he couldn't struggle and clapped his hand over the man's nose and mouth. Doing his best to struggle, Bald tried to warn his comrades. James held him tight and soon Bald was unconscious. Hiding the body, James slid back into the shadows. The other two came back and were shocked to not find their friend waiting for them.

"Jake?" Ricky called.

"Where the hell did that idiot go?" Blondie growled. James smirked as he moved through the shadows before dropping from the dark underside of the tree directly on top of the other two. They cried out in shock as a heavy metal man knocked them to the ground but they shut up real quick when James placed blades from the thickened armor of his forearms at their throats.

"You boys are members of Wolf's Fang correct?" James asked calmly.

"What of it," Ricky growled.

"Because you have made some people very angry. I'm here to teach you a lesson," James whispered in deadly calm. He held the blades a little closer. "Tell me where your friends are."

"Go to hell!" Ricky snapped. James held the blade a little tighter and drew a trickle of blood.

"Shut up you fool!" Blondie panicked. "North! Our guild hall is north of town!"

"Thank you for your cooperation." James sheathed his blades back into his armored forearms with the barest _sshk_ and then slammed his fists into the Wolf's Fang members knocking them out. Standing upright, James disengaged his Schnitter armor. He dragged the unconscious bodies off the road and then tied them up for local authorities to collect later.

James adjusted his travel bag and headed into town unopposed.

The town had a slightly subdued feeling to it. An open market was the first thing James came upon where people were doing their business, selling, buying, and trading wares. A tall train station could be seen in the background and large warehouses lined the horizon next to it. The town hall and mayor's office where just west of the train station. That was where the job request had originated from and where James was headed.

He frowned as he saw two members of Wolf's Fang harassing local shopkeepers and customers. Not one to tolerate bullies after his rough childhood, James came up right behind the thugs and got uncomfortably close.

"There are problem here?" James asked quietly. The Wolf's Fang members jumped but couldn't move because James had them pinned against the open-air shop's table.

"Back off buddy," one of the guys growled. Ignoring him, James glanced at the young brunette that ran the shop. "They bothering you?"

"A little," she muttered. James nodded in understanding.

"You boys really should find better things to do with your time than harassing lovely ladies who clearly want nothing to do with you," James stated shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I said back off!" The first guy shoved at James. James snapped right back and headbutted the guy breaking his nose.

"Bastard!" The second guy went to swing at James but missed as the Fairy Tail wizard jumped back. The first guy was pinching his nose desperately trying to stop the blood.

"I suggest you two get before I actually feel the need to fight," James stated in a bored tone.

"Cocky little bastard!" Bloody snarled. He pulled out a pistol and aimed it at James. Moving faster than the Wolf's Fang thug could follow, James came in low. He grabbed the thug's wrist, twisting it. The thug cried out and dropped the pistol. James caught it and slammed the barrel of the gun under the thug's chin.

"Come on man, we were just kidding around," the coward whimpered.

"Go tell your master that Maschine Price has come for him." James stepped back and handed the Wolf's Fang member his gun, butt first. He hesitantly took and then the two fled.

"Thank you," the brunette muttered, her face red.

"They won't bother you again," James stated as he watched them flee. "I'll make sure of it."

The girl was a little taken back by that and could only watch as James headed into town. He found the mayor's office easy enough. The mayor himself was a nervous little round man with a thick bristly mustache.

"I want these scum out of my city! My people have grown tired off them and they are ruining business," the mayor grumbled. "If you are as good as rumors say…"

"It will be done," James said. "You should be made aware of three men who I apprehended on my way into town. I left them tied up on the east road into town."

"I'll send some officers to collect them. Thank you."

James nodded and headed towards Wolf's Fang's hangout. It was a large warehouse that had been taken over and made to look like a cave. A wolf's head viewed from front on was painted on the door. Five men were standing at the door all armed with firearms; all large barrel shotguns.

 _Guess the master isn't messing around_ James thought. _This will be interesting._ James rolled his shoulders and walked right up to the Wolf's Fang members.

"Halt! Turn around and leave right now!" the middle guy barked.

"Sorry. I have business with your master," James stated.

"No you don't, Maschine Price," the same man snapped.

James smirked and clenched his right fist. "Right Arm of Jaeger." A blue magic circle appeared at James' shoulder and slowly moved down his arm encasing it in his signature blue armor. Advancing rapidly, James jumped into the air just as the Wolf's Fang members opened fire.

"Fist of the War Monger!" James punched the ground in front of the thugs, the detonation launching them back. "Mech Magic Form Panzer!" A green magic circle appeared above James as he pulled his right fist back by his ear and extended his left. His heavy green armor encased him. Slamming his bracers into the ground, James lowered his body slightly and leaned forward. Magic circles appeared in front of the barrels of his large caliber shoulder-mounted cannons and rifles as the hatches on his missile boxes popped open. A series of targeting reticles appeared on his orange HUD visor.

"Primzahl," James stated as his reticles turned green. "Bechuss!" An ungodly roar bellowed form his multiple armaments. They blasted the five members back and ripped the door off of its hinges throwing it into the dark guild's hall. Straightening up and disengaging his armor, James calmly walked into the hall.

"Who dares to defile the Wolf's Den?" James glanced up to see an older man wearing all white standing on the second floor balcony. He had slicked back white hair and was blind in his left eye, a jagged scar running across his face. The man snarled when he saw James. "You're an arrogant little snot to think you can take on a whole Dark Guild by yourself."

"Not arrogant, confident," James stated calmly. He leaned back at the hip and slid his thumbs into his pockets. "You must be Shiroi Kiba, the leader of the group. You guys really play up the whole wolf thing."

Shiroi Kiba growled. "Men kill the interloper! Show him why we rule this town!" Dozens of mages descended upon James. He scowled slightly before reengaging his Panzer Armor. A volley of various magic attacks impacted his armor but when the smoke cleared, James was standing there without a scratch, magic circles primed around the barrels of his cannons.

"You have one chance to surrender. I hope you'll come quietly. I do so abhor violence," James sighed.

"Surrender? Never!" Shiroi Kiba snapped. James sighed before pulling the trigger on his weapons.

"Bechuss!" The magic missiles and bullets found their marks and took down the three dozen men and women of Wolf's Fang. A few were tougher than their comrades and managed to get back up before James hit them with another volley. James leaned back and twirled his rifles before sending them back to his Requip space. His shoulder cannons tilted upward, smoke snaking upward from the ends.

"Surrender before I am forced to take drastic measures," James stated.

"Kill the interloper! Show him why the Wolf's Fang rules this town!" Shiroi Kiba snarled. A few of his men managed to get up and attack James again. The majority lacked the magical power and physical endurance to withstand James' initial volleys. James sighed at their futility before calmly walking forward, his Panzer armor collapsing in on itself, his flesh returning to normal.

The first Wolf Fang member came at James wielding a long curved sword. White lightning crackled along its length as the dark wizard swung the sword. James ducked down, the sword sweeping over his head by the smallest margin. James slammed his fist into the swordsman's gut winding him. The swordsman doubled over and tried to swing at James again. James grabbed his wrist and twisted it forcing the man to drop his weapon. James spun the poor man around, his arm now pinned behind his back before James firmly planted his foot on the Wolf Fang's backside and kicked him into his comrades.

"Please stay down," James asked almost with a pleading tone. "I really do hate fighting."

Two men snarled and charged at James; both wielded fire magic of some kind. James again ducked under their attacks but they managed to dodge his return strike. James backflipped away as they both unleashed a large fireball towards him. In midair James shifted his forearms to his Jaeger armor. Slamming his fists together, twisted, pulled them apart, and then slammed them back together. Magic energy pulsated around James' fists.

"Jaeger Bomb!" James slammed his right fist into the ground as he landed and sent a shockwave at the two fire wizards. They dove to the side, only for one of them to get blasted by James' second attack. The last one snarled before having his teeth shoved down his throat by James' gauntleted fist. The man staggered back before collapsing to the ground.

"If you want something done right, you got to do it yourself," Shiroi Kiba grumbled before jumping down. He snapped his fingers and five wolves made of blue flames burst into life. "Get him boys!" The wolves howled before they lunged and dragged a slightly shocked James to the ground. He struggled for a moment before the wolves detonated, engulfing him in flames.

"Serves you right, yah cocky little snot," Shiroi Kiba spat. He turned and got to yelling and kicking his subordinates.

"Please, Natsu's flames are hotter than this."

Shiroi Kiba spun around to see James emerge from the flames in his full Jaeger armor.

"As a member of a legal guild and under the power given to me by the Magic Council, I hereby place you, Shiroi Kiba, and the members of the Wolf's Fang guild under arrest for destruction of private property, assault, extortion, bribery, and racketeering," James stated as he walked forward.

"You just don't know when to quit," Shiroi Kiba snarled. He summoned more of his fire wolves. They snarled and charged at James. Quickly breaking into a run, James jumped over the wolves, unleashing a blast of magic that detonated the wolves, before landing in front of Shiroi Kiba.

"Surrender. I won't ask again," James stated, charged fist directly under Shiroi Kiba's chin. The dark guild leader snarled in defiance. James sighed before cocking back his fist. "Fist of the War Monger!" He slammed his fist into Shiroi Kiba's jaw in a perfect uppercut, the concussive force of the magically enhanced strike launching the guild master high into the air before he crashed back into cold unforgiving ground. James stood over Shiroi Kiba fist cocked, ready for the old man to fight back.

Kiba snarled and snapped his fingers. James was suddenly surrounded by dozens of flaming wolves. He sighed and jumped high in the air as the wolves leapt at him. He backflipped away and landed ten feet from Kiba and his wolves. The wolves circled up around Kiba, snarling and biting at the air, waiting for the command to attack.

"Devour him," Shiroi snarled as he staggered to his feet. "Burn his bones to ash!" He snapped his fingers again and more wolves appeared before three dozen wolves descended on James in a feeding frenzy.

"Fist of the War Monger!" James smashed the ground in front of him blasting rock and tile into the air. Dropping into a boxing stance, James unleashed a rapid series of jabs and punches into the debris field. The pieces were turned into impromptu projectiles that slammed into the fiery wolves detonating them.

But there were more wolves than debris James could fire. They rapidly descended upon him, their sharp fangs latching into his armor and pulling him down. James snarled and struggled under them as their combined heat started to make him sweat and his armor to glow from the intense heat. The wolves started to glow and get larger before the ones directly on top of James detonated in a large explosion.

More than a dozen wolves survived the explosion and withdrew to stand near their master. Shiroi Kiba sneered as he watched James' figure burn inside the pyre. James could be seen struggling in the flames trying to escape.

"Serves you right, yah little brat," Kiba spat. His eyes went wide however when the flames were blasted apart by a wave of dark energy.

"I applaud you for catching me by surprise," James stated as he emerged from the smoke. He was singed in a few places and soot marred his clothes and face. "I was certain I wouldn't have to use _his_ power but I guess I was a little arrogant."

"Why you little-!" Shiroi snarled. He set his wolves upon James again. Frowning, James moved like lightning. He shifted into his Kleine Jaeger armor before jumping into the air and slammed his fists together. He twisted them before pulling them apart, energy crackling between his opposite facing fists, before slamming them back together. This time James focused the energy all in one fist though.

"Jaeger Bomb!"

The tightly focused blast of magical energy impacted against the wolves and Shiroi Kiba. A massive fireball resulted from the impact and Kiba was sent flying backwards. James landed in a crouch, falling down to one knee and bracing himself with a hand. He walked over to Kiba's smoking form and cocked back a fist in case the man still had some fight in him.

It was for naught. Shiroi Kiba groaned in pain but he wasn't getting back up. James straightened and collapsed his armor. He turned and left, drawing a flare gun as he exited the guild hall. Firing it, James signaled the Rune Knights who were on standby to come and apprehend the criminals. A dozen or so of them arrived and started rounding up the members of Wolf's Fang.

As for James, he returned to Lavender's town hall. A very grateful mayor thanked him and gave him a very lucrative sum of money. James thanked him and returned home. He took the train all the way back to Magnolia, enjoying the ride and even catching some sleep.

 _You're getting stronger._

James started awake in his train car alone.

 _Before you could barely hold your form. Now you can switch between your armors with ease_ Darax whispered in James' ear.

"I could do that before," James growled. "I didn't make S-Class for nothing."

 _You lost so much of your power when I took over last._

You mean when you destroyed Viola," James snarled.

 _Semantics. Anyways, our little trip to Edolas has strengthen our relationship. As your power grows so does mine. One day we will be strong enough to destroy anyone who dares to oppose us. Someday you will be able to harness my full power. My_ true _power._

James frowned as the air shimmered before him and then his silver-haired head-mate consolidated into existence. He was wearing black armor similar to the Götterdämmerung, but it looked more organic and had a high collar to protect the neck. He was perfectly defined, no blurry edges like before. He stared at James with those eerie red eyes.

 _When will you come to terms with what we have done? With me?_ Darax's lips didn't move when he spoke.

"I already have. What we did in the past in nothing we can change. The lives lost because of my weakness, my inability to fully control your power, _my power_ , is something that will haunt me forever. But I won't let it control me. Gramps taught that to me and Gale beat it into me. It is what drives me now. I will continue to grow stronger to protect those who turn to me for protection.

"As for you, well, your shadow has been hanging over me for fifteen years now. If I can keep you in check, all the better. I will control your power and use it for good," James stated. "You call yourself Darax of the Twilight. Twilight is a balance between the light and the dark, just at the tipping point. Even if you are a being of darkness, I can still use your power to fight for the light."

 _How sage-like_ Darax taunted. _I am called Darax of the Twilight because the light always falls to the dark. Eventually, the light always falls to the dark and fades away; it doesn't matter how long or how valiantly you fight it, the dark will be your destiny._

"Not anytime soon."

* * *

"So how did things go?" Master Makarov asked as James walked up to the bar. James motioned to Mira and she quickly brought over a pint of beer. James took a good long draft before responding to Master's questions.

"Fine."

"The client was very happy with the results. He wants to employ us again in the future," Master continued.

"That's good." James took another pull of his beer.

"Something bothering you boy?" Master asked concern coloring his voice.

"No. I'm just tired." James ran his fingers through his hair. Really his thoughts were on Darax and the thinly veiled threats of James' future. "Erza didn't let me get much sleep last night and the mission kept me moving a lot." Master chuckled. "Wait till you get to my age."

"How is Erza?" James asked.

"Fine. Far as I know, she's been sprucing up that little cottage of yours," Master stated. James nodded and polished off his drink.

"Whelp, guess I'll be off. There's a bed calling my name," James stated getting up.

"Oh, James, will you be participating in this year's S-Class Trials?" Master called over his shoulder to James. James paused. The last few years James had kept out of the trials because he didn't trust himself to keep from killing his guildmates. He didn't trust his Magic.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think I will. This year should be fun."

"Good to hear it."

James waved over his shoulder as he left Fairy Tail. He made the long journey back to his new cabin. A light drizzle had begun as he left the guild hall and soon the weather had taken a turn for the cold. He was happy to see smoke curling from the chimney.

Upon entering the cabin, James found Erza in the kitchen cooking a late dinner.

"Oh, you're home," Erza smiled. James smirked as he saw she was adding some final touches to a strawberry shortcake. The girl sure did love her shortcake. He came up behind her and saw the pot of noodles boiling on the stove.

"You make any for me?" James whispered in Erza's ear.

"Maybe," she teased. She took some of the extra whip cream and dabbed it on James' nose. He fake-frowned before Erza playfully licked it off. "Go sit down in front of the fire. You're freezing. I'll bring you some food."

James nodded and shed his wet dress shirt and grey undershirt. He draped them over a chair to dry before reclining in front of the crackling fire. Erza soon came over with two plates of spiraled egg noodles covered in alfredo sauce and two smaller plates of her shortcake. She set them down before reclining next to James, her legs tucked under her.

"How was your mission?" Erza asked after a few mouthfuls of the pasta.

"Rather uneventful. I found the dark guild and put an end to them rather quickly," James explained. "They really couldn't put up much of a fight."

"That's good," Erza muttered.

"So what you do while I was gone?"

"Just some grocery shopping and enlisted some help from the others in moving our stuff. There are still a few boxes to unpack but everything is here."

James nodded. He glanced around a noticed the more womanly touches that he had missed before. An actual tablecloth on the kitchen table, the latest issues of his magazines in a basket next to the coffee table, some flowers by the window, crimson curtains covered the windows. Erza had done a marvelous job of making the place more livable.

They finished dinner in silence before James did the dishes and Erza made some hot chocolate. They sipped their cups quietly, just nestled together watching the fire, simply enjoying each other's presence. The fire started to get low so James tossed another log on.

"I'll be right back," Erza whispered behind him as he teased some more heat out of the fire. James merely nodded before lying down on the couch, his large six-foot plus frame hanging over the edges of the couch. Erza returned wearing lavender pajamas with the Heart Kreuz symbol printed all over. She lied down on top of James, her head resting on his left shoulder making sure not to stress his arm though. Her scarlet hair fell like a blanket over her and James.

Producing a little black box similar to the one James presented her yesterday, Erza placed it on the center of James' chest. He glanced down at it before opening it with one hand. Nestled in the black velvet lining was a signet ring with a beautifully cut ruby. The ruby caught the light from the fire and made it look like the ruby itself had a fire trapped inside.

"It's lovely," James whispered as he ran his finger along the edge of the cool silver ring. Erza wiggled it out of the box and James let her slip it onto his right index finger. James held out his hand and let his two rings caught the light from the fire. "Thank you."

"It only seemed appropriate after the necklace you gave me," Erza replied. James leaned down and gave her a long soft kiss.

"I love you Erza."

"And I love you."


End file.
